Betrothed
by LilPswitch897
Summary: Kurt Hummel, eldest son and heir to Lanhydrock estate, falls in love with his sister's betrothed. A man named Blaine Anderson.
1. Chapter 1

"Rise and shine!" screeched Abella, throwing the curtains open to let in the bright summer sunshine. It was already eight and she knew it would take a fair few minutes of pestering before she could get her target to rise from his bed. She chuckled when she heard a loud groaning from beneath the covers and proceeded to pull them back to reveal the boy nestled inside. "You know what day it is today, Kurt. You cannot keep your father waiting."

Indeed, Kurt knew what today was. It was the day their guests would be arriving from the city. It was all his mother and sister had been able to talk about all month. It would have taken a great blow to the head for him to forget _that._ He threw his arm over his eyes in protest and tried to ignore the maid who was now bustling about his room preparing his bath. "You have to be ready by nine-thirty, so I suggest you get moving," she said, not stopping for breath while lugging the jugs of water into the tub. She eyed him disapprovingly. "Now."

If it were any other maid speaking to him that way, he would have made a complaint immediately, but Abella was special. He had known her his entire life, the woman had practically raised him. She was abrasive and incredibly unprofessional at times, but it just wouldn't be right any other way. He loved her dearly and she loved him too, and she was not about to let him embarrass himself by showing up late. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and blearily made his way over to the basin. He stripped off and climbed into the water, feeling the muscles in his body quiver upon coming into contact with the heat. He lay his head back on the lip of the tub and closed his eyes again, almost slipping back into sleep when he was rudely interrupted by Abella again.

"Wash. Now," she said sternly. He lifted up his arms and she proceeded to scrub his underarms and work the soap onto his chest. She placed both hands on his head, pulling him forward so she could get to his back. The sleepy boy barely registered what she was doing. He was content to just let her carry on and remain in his sleep like state for a little longer. He was starting to doze off again when she commanded him to stand and instructed him to clean his bottom and legs himself. He did so half-heartedly and then washed the remaining suds off before sitting down again. Abella grabbed the jug from the dresser nearby and began filling it with water to wash his hair. This was his favourite part. The feel of the older woman's hands working the soap through his hair was wonderful and a smile formed on his face as he relaxed into the sensation.

"Out," he heard her say all too soon. He stood up and was handed a towel which he wrapped around himself like a cocoon. "Your clothes are hung up ready. You have," she checked the clock on the fireplace, "one hour to be dressed, fed and ready to greet your guests. Tick-tock." She raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a serious look. "It's just one day, Kurt. And then you can go back to moping around on that piano all day."

She rubbed her arms over his towel clad shoulders and then she was out of the door faster than he could blink. Left feeling like he had just been caught in a whirlwind, a usual effect of spending any sort of time with Abella, he moved over to the wardrobe where his clothes were hanging up. His mother had chosen his best and most expensive suit to impress their cosmopolitan guests. It wasn't his favourite, that was reserved for his navy-blue suit with the black accents he had fixed on himself. He would have felt much more comfortable wearing that than this ludicrous ensemble. He didn't feel like himself in it, he felt like he was trying to be somebody he was not, somebody 'better', richer, with more high society friends than sense. Somebody like the guests they were expecting today.

Kurt was not excited. Not at all. Lord and Lady Anderson were coming to stay with them, all the way from God knows where and who knows what, bringing along their carriage, and their titles and their rich silk dresses to flaunt in their family's face. And also bringing their eldest son, Blaine Anderson, to marry off to his younger sister, Rachel. That was the biggest thorn in his side. His foolish, lovestruck sister had been going on and on about Blaine non-stop since the previous month when they had made their intent to stay with them. She had never even seen the man in person, but she was oh so sure of his _handsome eyes_ and his _dashing, debonair smile._ When he had tried to point out this fact, she had gushed that he was only jealous because mother and father had secured her a marriage before him. And to the son of a Lord no less.

As he put the final touches to his outfit and finished up styling his hair, Kurt looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. There was no way he was going to enjoy whatever this day brought. He was just going to have to suck it up and watch his sister fall over herself trying to impress the great Blaine Anderson. _Wait… that actually could be something enjoyable to see._ He smirked. Rachel really had no clue how obnoxious she could be. She couldn't wait to throw herself at this Blaine and soak up all of the wealth and attention a life as his wife had to offer. That was what made Kurt furious. His father had worked extremely hard to give them the life they had. He would never want to throw all of that away to jump into the arms of some rich debutante. He was proud of where he came from and what he had and watching his sister fawn over her new life to come had been making him slowly more furious for weeks.

He left his room and headed for the staircase up the other end of the hallway, the one that led straight down into the entry hall to the staff quarters. He couldn't quite face his family yet and the staircase opposite his bedroom door would have led him right down into the dining room. Several members of the staff greeted him with a simple "Good morning, Mister Kurt." He smiled at them and wandered through to the kitchen in the hopes of finding one of the scullery maids, Mercedes. She was one of his closest allies in the house and he knew she would be feeling just as apprehensive about today as he was. He found her elbows deep in dish water and snuck up behind her to jab her in the sides. "Ahhhh!" she screamed before turning around and flinging water in his face.

"Mercedes! I am ready and presentable for our guests today! You're going to flatten my hair!" he laughed, as she rolled her eyes fondly.

"Well then, never do that again and we won't have a problem," she teased back. "Speaking of, when do they get here?"

"Nine-thirty." He looked at his pocket watch and winced, thirty-five minutes. "And we're all so very excited about it!" he announced with a flourish.

Mercedes laughed and put her arm, now towel dried, around the taller boy's waist. "You'll be fine. Just don't put your elbows on the table or forget to shine your shoes, and you'll all get along like old friends."

Kurt pretended to look insulted that she would insinuate he would _ever_ forget to shine his shoes. He pointed his left foot out to prove it, and she gave him an appraising sweep of eyes over his whole outfit. "My mother picked it. We have to impress them in the only way they'll understand. Expensive clothes and money." Mercedes knew of Kurt's tendency to fix up his own clothes, some of his favourite pieces being things he had sewn together himself. He hated when he was forced into something expensive, yet tasteless. Money didn't always buy the best, he always said.

He shrugged his shoulders and tried to act like he was okay, but she knew better. "Listen, just stand tall. Say hello. Give a bow. Eat lunch and you can come and tell me all about it, okay. We'll laugh at their top hats, and over the top pompous accents. And it will all be fine."

"She's fifteen," he whispered. "She's fifteen. And he's twenty-five. She's so naïve and headstrong. I just don't want her to get hurt." Kurt looked down at his feet and Mercedes sighed, not knowing what to say to comfort him in this situation. They had never faced anything like this before. Sure, Miss Rachel Hummel was a terror to get along with at times and she drove the staff of the house up the wall with her constant antics. But she was also just a girl. A teenage girl. And she had a tendency to throw herself into things she was not ready for. Kurt being seventeen was already looked upon as a man. He was next in line to the Hummel household once his father, Burt, was gone and he was respected as such. But Miss Hummel was still seen by many as a child. Many of the staff members had widened their eyes comically upon being told a husband had been found for the impertinent young girl. But even through all of that, she was still Mister Kurt's younger sister.

"You should get to breakfast," she said finally. Kurt smiled weakly and took his leave. As he left the servants quarters, he walked head first into his sister, bouncing down the corridor and singing at the top of her lungs. She barely even noticed that her older and much taller brother had been knocked aside by her flailing arms and continued through to the dining room. "Ahh, there's my darling Rachel," he heard his father say. "Are you excited about today, my love?" he asked, and he heard Rachel squeal in response and start on a great tirade about how perfect the young man coming to stay with them was. As he entered the dining room, she was gushing over the wonderful hazel colour of his eyes in the painting she had seen of him and hoping against hope that they were as dazzling in real life.

"I am sure they will be. Oh, he will be just breath-taking daddy!" she cried. "Just think! My very own Lord. _I_ will be a Lady one day. _Me!"_

"He isn't a Lord yet," Kurt stated cynically, as he waited for his porridge to be spooned onto his plate. He eyed her dress, a garish pink number with bows attached to each of the sleeves and around her dainty waist. He wondered briefly how much more expensive than their house that awful thing probably was. For a moment, he actually pitied Blaine.

"Oh hush!" she said, batting her hand at him in disapproval. He ate his food slowly, trying to make it last as long as possible in the hopes that nine-thirty never came around. If she was already this insufferable now, it was only going to get worse once Blaine actually arrived. He needed all the strength he could get. Right then, his mother came charging into the room looking beautiful as ever. Her hair was pulled back and held in place with a butterfly pin which sparkled whenever she turned her head and it caught the sunlight. She walked over to his chair and kissed him on the head before marching up to her husband.

"Everyone is in position outside, we just need to get you three ready," she announced, addressing the whole table. Her face was red, and Kurt could tell she had been running around like a mad woman all morning to ensure everything was running smoothly. She turned to face her children and give them their instructions. "Kurt, you will be standing next to your father, and Rachel you will be standing with me. Don't forget your bows and curtseys and make sure to kiss Lord and Lady Anderson on the hand before making eye contact with them. Very important! As for Blaine, Rachel don't monopolise him. Allow him to make his introductions and settle in here before you pounce on him. We don't want to scare him off," she smiled and looked down at her husband who was smiling also.

Once breakfast was cleared, the family made their way outside to stand in their instructed positions by the main gate. It was nine-twenty-five and Kurt could feel his anxiety growing as he kept his eyes peeled on the road leading up to their house. Every time a bird flew by, he raised up onto his tiptoes thinking the sudden movement was a carriage approaching. There was nothing for a further few minutes and then in the distance he could hear the unmistakable sound of horses' hooves. Just peeking over the brow of the hill he could see a great white carriage, big enough to fit at least six people easily. His excitement actually started to grow as he saw a further five carriages following close behind, most likely containing their luggage and a few key members of their household staff. They had tried to reassure them that they had plenty of staff on hand at the house, but Lady Anderson had insisted they bring along their own help.

As the carriages came to a stop in front of them, Kurt couldn't help but feel nervous. He was actually glad his mother had insisted he wear his most expensive suit, he felt out of place right there when faced with the magnitude of what had just arrived before them. He looked down at his jacket and tried to smooth imaginary creases in his worry. His mother glanced at him and he immediately stopped fidgeting and placed his hands by his sides. The footman opened the door to the carriage and the first to step out was Lord Anderson himself. He turned back to offer his hand to his wife, and Lady Anderson stepped out next to him a moment later. They both made their way over to Burt Hummel, Lord Anderson shook his hand and introduced his wife, to which Burt kissed her hand. "Lord and Lady Anderson, what an honour it is to have you here. May I introduce my wife, Elizabeth Hummel." At this, Elizabeth curtseyed and kissed both of her guests' hands before looking at them.

"An honour, truly," she said, smiling from ear to ear.

Burt then turned to Kurt and urged him forward. "This is my eldest son, Kurt." Kurt did as his mother had told him: kissed both the Lord and Lady's hands and bowed before daring to look up at them. "Ahh, a strapping young lad. I'm sure you and my son will get along just fine," Lord Anderson said patting him on the shoulder.

"And this is my daughter, Miss Rachel Hummel," Burt went on, gesturing to the young girl. Rachel effortlessly curtseyed and kissed their hands, but Kurt could see her keep impatiently eyeing the carriage where Blaine was still hiding.

"Son," Lord Anderson bellowed. Kurt flinched for a second, not sure if the man was as angry as his tone suggested. Movement from the carriage caused Rachel to gasp quietly, her fingers twining together in front of her as she anxiously awaited her first glimpse of her future husband. He stepped out and Kurt immediately looked down, not wanting to risk eye contact before they had been properly introduced. He could hear Rachel's swoon as the man sauntered past her and over to his father. "This is my only son, Blaine."

Kurt's eyes remained glued to the ground. He listened as Rachel was introduced to Blaine, the man not being able to squeeze a word in edgeways over Rachel and their fathers. But mostly Rachel. She was prattling on about which room he was to be staying in and the lovely views of the garden it offered. Kurt cleared his throat just loud enough to be heard over Rachel's constant din. Everyone seemed to be all at once alerted to his presence and his father hastened to introduce him to the elder Anderson son.

"Ahh, Blaine this is my oldest son, Kurt," he said, and Blaine turned away from Rachel and extended his hand towards the boy. Kurt bowed, taking it in his hands and kissing it before looking up into the man's eyes. And then… silence.

Kurt couldn't hear anything, he was completely unaware of everyone around him. All he knew was that he was gazing into the most spectacular hazel orbs he had ever seen. They swirled in the light, darker around the edges with golden flecks closer to the pupil. They were framed with the darkest, longest eyelashes he had ever seen on a man before. He let his eyes trail over Blaine's entire face, took in his triangular shaped eyebrows, his nose which was crooked to the side slightly as if it had been broken before, and his full lips. His top lip was shaped like a bow, the centre of it perfectly symmetrical and plump and what Kurt wouldn't have given to lean in and touch it with his own. His skin beneath Kurt's own pale hand was olive in complexion and they complimented each other so well. Blaine's lips parted in a slight smile which revealed his startlingly white teeth, all perfectly round and placed with an artist's precision. His dark hair was gelled back, but Kurt could see one little curl, a rebel which was trying to escape from its confines, falling over the top of his ear and being ruffled in the slight breeze.

He was beautiful. Breath-takingly so. Rachel had been right about his eyes, they were even more incredible in person. Kurt realised he had been holding onto Blaine's hand a little too long and pulled back in embarrassment, but Blaine's grip was firm. Blaine slowly pulled his own hand back, sliding it carefully across the younger boy's palm and leaving a trail of tingles in its wake. Kurt's whole body tensed, he could feel the hairs on his arms rising but tried to just put it down to the breeze.

"Well, let's head inside where we will have your things taken up to your rooms. Shall we?" Burt announced, and everyone made to follow him up the garden path to the front door.

It took Kurt a few seconds to move his suddenly rigid body, his limbs felt like jelly and yet stiff all at the same time. He watched as Blaine kept pace with his father, ignoring Rachel's protests that she would personally show him to his room. Kurt followed at a distance, admiring the man's behind and the way his thighs tensed with each step he took. Everything about him was attractive to Kurt, and when he laughed out loud at a passing comment Lord Anderson had made, Kurt committed the sound to memory, so he could replay it over and over again later on when he was alone.

Kurt was staring at the other man's back, not even pretending to be doing anything else, when Blaine turned his head around to face him. They made eye contact again and Kurt felt the blush rising to his cheeks as he quickly looked down. He didn't see the smirk playing on Blaine's lips, the older man celebrating inwardly that Kurt too was admiring him. This was going to be an interesting few months, both of them thought to themselves, entering the house and quickly being dragged off in separate directions.


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt had desperately wanted to escape upstairs to Mercedes immediately after their guests had arrived and fill her in on the grandeur of their arrival. However, his mother grabbed his arm as he made to turn away and suggested he give Lord and Lady Anderson a tour of the house. Blaine had already been dragged off by Rachel up to his room and they could still hear her from two floors up prattling on about the brand new four-poster bed they had purchased just to make his stay much more comfortable. Kurt wanted the ground to swallow him whole at the suggestion and he looked at the Lord and Lady with wide eyes before his mother all but shoved him towards them.

Putting on a brave smile, he guided them through the ground floor, pausing at the dining room and the library. He knew it was much smaller than what they were probably used to, but they at least pretended to look impressed for his sake.

Upstairs he showed them his father's parlour, where he often hosted several of his friends for card games and whiskey, and the games room which was home to his father's prized billiards table, much to Lord Anderson's approval. He then took them to the other end of the hall where his mother's private sitting room was, beautifully decorated in all white and always smelling vaguely of his mother's perfume, it was Kurt's favourite room in the house. He had spent countless hours in there reading, writing or even just listening to his mother talk. His mother always appreciated a listening ear after spending the day with Rachel.

On the next floor, he purposefully led them straight past his and Rachel's room's and instead showed them to their own. He pointed out that Blaine's room was just opposite theirs, and to the left of their door was the prayer room. It didn't contain much, just a small window seat with a Bible on a stand in front of it. "We live quite far from the nearest town, so we don't often get to church on Sunday's. My mother would never let us get away with not praying, though. She always brings us here on a Sunday morning and we pray together," he explained. He could tell that Lady Anderson was slightly scandalised at the fact they did not attend church every week, and he wondered whether that would be subject to change during their stay.

At the end of the hall was his parent's bedroom, which again he skipped on past, and his father's study. As Lord Anderson admired the many knick-knacks inside there, including his father's new telescope, Lady Anderson wandered over to the small flight of stairs opposite. Four steps led down to a door which she hoisted open herself and revealed a dark room with all of the curtains drawn. It was an extremely long room and at the very end stood a lone grand piano. "Why is it so dark in here?" she asked. "If you opened those curtains and let a little light in this would be a wonderful room for a ball."

Kurt hesitated by the door, not sure how he felt about the woman being in his personal music room. "Lady Anderson, this room is mostly just used by me, I practice a lot on the piano and…"

"You play?" she turned to him, her hand stroking over the keys and creating a tinkling melody.

"Yes, my Lady. My mother taught both my sister and I," he answered. She hummed to herself before walking over to one of the windows and pulling open the curtains. Kurt couldn't quite believe the brazen acts of this woman, but he knew better than to say anything about it. The bright light after having darkness in this room for so long made quite the difference, Kurt had to admit. He always preferred being in the dark, lit only by a single candle when he practiced. He felt it gave the whole thing atmosphere, like he could get lost in the music and pretend he was somewhere – anywhere - else.

"You will have to play for us soon. My son loves music, I'm sure he would love to hear you," she said. And with that she walked out of the room.

* * *

Kurt was very relieved when he was finally granted permission to go to bed that night. It had been an exhausting day. And dinner had been intense. Kurt had spent the entire meal avoiding Blaine's gaze from across the table, not wanting to make a fool of himself which he knew he would do if he looked into those eyes again. He looked down at his plate, cutting up his meat into smaller and smaller pieces before quickly raising it to his lips and looking down again. He was sure the older man was watching him, too. Rachel had been talking his ear off all night, but he had only been giving her small responses. His eyes seemed to stay glued on Kurt and the constant staring made him uncomfortable.

Kurt scolded himself. _Of course he's not watching you. Stop being so self-centred and ridiculous._ He risked a glance up but low and behold, Blaine was looking at him with a fixed intensity that made Kurt dive right back into his meal. When his mother had announced that he could take his leave he had practically leapt from his seat and only just managed to turn back around and utter a good night to everyone on his way out.

He had stripped down to his underclothes and thrown himself under the covers, not even bothering with his nightshirt. He had still been able to faintly hear Blaine and his family downstairs, laughing joyously over something Burt had said. He could perfectly picture Blaine's crinkling eyes as he laughed, the way the little lines formed around his nose and the clear melodic sound that emitted from him. Just because Kurt had been trying to avoid Blaine's gaze for most of the night, didn't mean he hadn't permitted himself to _look._

It had now been hours and still he lay in bed, staring up at the top of his canopy roof. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get to sleep. He was way too keyed up from the day's events. It wouldn't have surprised him if his sister was feeling the same just through the wall in her own room. After all, she had much more than he to be excited about. He reached over to his dresser, picked up the candle which he had still not blown out, and grabbed his sheet music from his bedside drawer. He opened his door very quietly and padded his way to the end of the hall, past the Lord and Lady's room, and Blaine's. He took the steps down two at a time and only once he was safely in his music room did he start to run over to the piano and threw himself onto his stool. He deposited the candle onto the piano before realising that something was different. The curtains were still open from earlier. He looked out of the nearest window and he could see some stars glistening in the sky. _Maybe just this once…_ he thought.

He began to play, his hands forming over the familiar notes and before long he became lost in the music…

* * *

Just two rooms over, Blaine was still awake. He too was feeling overwhelmed by the day's events and had chosen to read before falling asleep. But every time he tried to read a sentence, his mind kept drifting back to Kurt. Kurt was the most intriguing person he had ever laid eyes on. When the boy had first looked up at him, he had been mesmerised by his blue-grey eyes. He had never seen so many different shades of blue in one person's eyes before. His hand had been so soft and when he had gasped upon looking at Blaine, the noise had planted itself in Blaine's head, ready to be played and played again on a loop. He had watched the boy throughout dinner, noting everything from the way his eyelashes swept onto his cheeks as he looked down to the blush that rose on his cheeks as he noticed Blaine was looking at him. He smiled fondly as he remembered and was just starting to doze off when he heard something. It sounded like… music? He checked the clock above his fireplace and noted that it was already past midnight. Strange. Wondering who could be playing music at this hour, he got out of bed and wrapped his robe around him and slipped his feet into his fur slippers.

He poked his head around the door and tried to locate which direction the music was coming from. It seemed to be coming from the right, so he left his room, taking the candle from the wall outside his door. He couldn't say he recognised the piece that was playing so it must have been an original. Blaine had an incredible love of music and he was fairly certain if it was a famous piece, he would have known it. He reached the door at the end of the hallway where the music was loudest and slowly pushed it open. It didn't creak but moved silently, allowing him the chance to look into the room without disturbing its occupant. It was Kurt.

He was sitting at a piano with his eyes closed, his hands deftly flying across the keys and producing the most beautiful sounds Blaine had ever heard. There was a content smile on his face, one that made him look as though he was where he truly belonged. Blaine watched as the light from a candle flickered and cast shadows across the young man's face. They danced on his skin in great contrast to his pale tone and gave an almost other-worldly feel to the entire scene. Blaine's breath caught in his throat and he quickly closed the door and headed back to his room before Kurt could know he had been interrupted.

* * *

The following morning, Kurt headed down to breakfast feeling much better than he had the night before. He had actually managed to complete the piece he had been working on after weeks of trying and was elated with the final composition. He couldn't wait to play it for his mother who was his constant supporter when it came to his music.

Everyone was already at the breakfast table and he took his seat directly across from Blaine. He was just tucking into his porridge and jam when that same uneasy feeling from the night before crept upon him. Blaine was staring at him again. And he wasn't subtle about it, either. He was watching as Kurt ate, his eyes following his slender hands and watching his mouth as he chewed. He had never had someone pay him so much attention before, with Rachel being as loud and all-consuming as she was, he had often been overlooked throughout his life. He honestly couldn't tell if Blaine's staring was an intentional act, or if he just had no clue what normal meal protocol was. He tried not to burn bright red under his intense gaze, but the more he tried to ignore it, the more he focused on it until he couldn't take it anymore. His stomach began to twist into knots and he couldn't stop himself from nervously fiddling with the tablecloth.

He looked up at Blaine and noticed that his eyebrows were furrowed together as he watched Kurt's trembling hands. Blaine's eyes drifted up to meet his own and he silently mouthed _"Are you okay?"_ Kurt's mouth opened and closed before he quickly nodded and turned to his father.

"I'm finished. Can I be excused?" he asked hopefully. Burt frowned at his still full bowl but nodded in acquiescence. Kurt rose from the table and darted through a side door.

He ran through the kitchens to the back door, passing Mercedes as he went who tried shouting after him to no avail. His jacket and boots were by the back door and he pulled them on quickly, tripping over his feet as he was already out of the door and walking before he had finished securing them in place. He made his way around the house, huffing loudly as he struggled to regain his breath. When he reached the stable, he lifted up the piece of wood which served as a lock and swung the door open, positioning a brick at the bottom to keep it open.

He could hear his horse making little snorts in his stall as he acknowledged Kurt's arrival. He rounded the corner and saw the horse's head was perched over the gate and Kurt knew what he was waiting for. He reached into his jacket pocket, the cook always remembered to spare him a carrot or two and had slipped it into his pocket like usual. He fed it to the enthusiastic horse before dropping down onto a stool. He closed his eyes and breathed in hard, he was still fairly winded from the run from the house. He lay his head back against the wall and focused on keeping his breathing even.

Why was he feeling this way? He couldn't understand why one look from Blaine sent him spiralling. Yes, he knew he found the older man attractive, immensely so. And he also knew that those feelings were incredibly wrong and inappropriate. But he had never met another person who threw his entire equilibrium off balance before, and he didn't know how to deal with it. And why was Blaine taking such a keen interest in him? He was here to marry his _sister,_ yet he only ever seemed to look at him. Stare at him. Make him blush and stutter and not know where to place his hands. It had only been one day, but Kurt felt like they'd been here for weeks.

His head fell into his hands and he rubbed at his eyes tirelessly. He heard as his horse started snorting again and his tail thrashed and hit the side of his stall. He looked up and saw that Blaine was standing right in front of him. He hadn't even heard him approach. His heart dropped into his stomach and he flew up from his seat. In his haste he accidentally threw his arm out and knocked over another stool upon which stood a bucket of water. It was almost like he was watching in slow motion as the bucket crashed to the floor and the water cascaded everywhere, including all over Blaine's legs. His trouser legs were drenched from the calf down, and his shoes were submerged in a mud puddle the water had formed.

Kurt was horrified, his hands rose to his face and he covered his mouth in shock. Blaine looked down at his legs and back up to Kurt. Kurt waited for him to explode, to yell at him and demand he apologise for ruining his clothes. He could feel himself tensing up as he waited for the man's response and so was surprised when Blaine's face broke out into a huge smile. He doubled over in laughter and fell forward with his hands on his knees. Kurt stood there dumbfounded, not at all sure how to react to this unforeseen chain of events. He didn't even know what Blaine was doing out in the stable in the first place. "I am so sorry. I'm so clumsy sometimes, I feel so embarrassed," he blurted, grabbing a towel from a nearby shelf and handing it to Blaine.

Blaine was still laughing as he took the proffered towel and used it to soak up most of the water on his shoes. Kurt continued, "Really, I am such a fool. Are they ruined?" he asked sheepishly, gesturing to his sodden hems.

Blaine handed him back the towel and smiled again. "It's just water, Kurt. I am sure they're just fine," he said teasingly. At this point after all of the commotion, the horse was stomping his feet and fretting in his stall. Kurt hurried over to him and tried to calm him down. "Woah boy. It's okay," he murmured, grabbing the horse's head to still him and patting him on his neck. It took a minute, but the horse began to calm down under Kurt's familiar influence.

For a brief second, Kurt almost forgot about the other man's presence. "He's beautiful," Blaine said, coming over hesitantly. The horse was completely black, and his coat shone to perfection, he was clearly well looked after. "Is he friendly?" he asked.

"Depends," Kurt replied.

"On what?"

"How much I like you," he answered smugly. The horse blew air out of its nose harshly as Blaine reached out to touch him. Blaine kept it very slow, closing the gap inch by inch until his palm was flat against the horse's face. He stroked gently down towards his nose, not wanting to spook him again. He noted the engraved sign on the stall gate which read 'Blackbird'.

Blaine continued stroking the horse. Kurt watched him curiously, he had never seen Blackbird take to anyone like this before. The first and only time Rachel had deigned to come out to the stable, he had kicked against his gate until she had left screaming.

"What brings you out here, anyway?" Kurt asked. He had left the dining room in quite a hurry and had not expected anyone to follow him - least of all Blaine.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed a little uncomfortable at breakfast."

Kurt struggled to hide the blush that threatened to rise upon his cheeks. "Oh… did I? Thank you for your concern but I'm fine. I just needed some air." He was trying to keep his voice steady, but he could hear the shakiness beneath his words. "You didn't need to come all the way out here just for me."

"I just wanted to make sure, it's no bother. And besides, I needed a little… space. Your sister, she's nice and all, but she sure can talk your ear off sometimes," he chuckled. "I suppose I have that to look forward to." Kurt knew very well what he meant. He had lived with it for the past fifteen years. Poor Blaine would have to deal with it for the rest of their married lives together, and once again he found he pitied Blaine.

"I also wanted to compliment you." Kurt raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I heard you last night."

Kurt's eyes widened in horror. What did he mean? "You heard me?" he asked, his voice a slightly higher octave than normal.

"Yes. You are very talented." Kurt felt his blush grow even stronger as he tried to figure out what on earth Blaine could have heard. "Was that an original piece, I didn't recognise it?"

Kurt felt a rush of relief, until he realised what Blaine was referring to. His music was a very private thing, he tended to do most of his practicing once everyone else had gone to bed. Only when his pieces were completely finished would he ever let anyone listen, and even then, it was usually only his mother. He looked into Blaine's eyes, seeing nothing but open curiosity. "Uh… Yes. Yes, it was."

Blaine smiled. "It was wonderful," he complimented. "Have you written many compositions?"

Kurt thought of the sheets upon sheets of music that were stuffed into every available space in his room. There were even some underneath his bed that he would pull out in the middle of the night and work on if the inspiration struck. "A few," he said, looking down and fiddling with a button on his jacket. "They're not very good. I don't really like to play them for anyone else, I am a little mortified that you heard actually."

"Don't be. There's no need for modesty. From what I heard last night, you have a gift. Hopefully sometime soon you could play for me again."

Blaine backed away from the horse. "I should really get back, I know my father wanted to speak with me," he said. He exited the stable and Kurt was left standing there, not quite sure if everything that had just happened was real.


	3. Chapter 3

Later that afternoon, Kurt was on his way to his music room when he heard something. A voice… Two voices. And they were angry. They were coming from behind his father's closed study door. He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but he could tell they were in some kind of heated argument. He paused in the hallway, stuck between the study and his music room, deciding whether he should eavesdrop or not. He looked between both doors before giving in and moving closer to the commotion, his ear pressing up against the hard oak of the door.

"We've talked about this, Blaine. This is your last chance!" It was Lord Anderson. And he sounded furious. "I will _not_ be made a fool of again. We did everything we could to help you the last time, why are you insisting on doing this again?"

"Father…"

"NO! I will not hear it. Miss Rachel is the perfect match for you. You are twenty-five Blaine, and still no wife and children. People are starting to talk."

"If you would just lis-…"

"I am done listening to you Blaine. Now get out of my sight." Lord Anderson must have banged his hands down on the desk if the resounding crash was anything to go by.

Kurt gasped and ran to the door opposite, shutting himself inside before Blaine could come out and find him standing there. He stood by the door listening until he heard Blaine's steps were far enough away, before sitting down in a nearby armchair. Did Blaine not want to marry his sister? Did he just not like her, or was it something else? Did he think she was too young, too loud, too immature? And what had Lord Anderson meant by 'the last time'? Had he been engaged to someone else before? Surely they would have heard?

Kurt pondered on this until one of his mother's servants poked her head around the door. "Mister Kurt, there you are. Your mother insists you join her in her sitting room, she'd like to have afternoon tea with you."

Kurt smiled and nodded, getting up to make his way out of the room.

* * *

 **One week later…**

It was an incredibly hot and muggy day; the summer sun was now out in full swing. Kurt, Blaine and Rachel were all sitting in the library. Blaine and Rachel were sharing a sofa together, with Blaine subtly trying to leave as much space as possible between him and the younger girl. She had thrown herself down next to him dramatically, fanning herself with her hand and using the other to turn the pages of her book. Kurt was perched on the nearby window seat smirking at Rachel's efforts to catch Blaine's attention.

He had not brought up what he had heard between Blaine and his father a week ago. He didn't feel that it was his place to do so. After that conversation, things grew quite tense between Blaine and his father. He wasn't sure if everyone else was picking up on it or if it was just him. He could see the way Blaine's eyes would tighten when his father would direct a comment his way, or the way Lord Anderson's smile always seemed forced when he was around his son. Had they always been like this or were these recent developments? They hadn't seemed so strained the first night they had arrived at Lanhydrock, but that conversation the next afternoon had changed things.

His sister was ever oblivious to anything being amiss when it came to Blaine. She kept putting on her widest grin, the one where she showed off every one of her teeth. She asked Blaine how he was enjoying his book and he kept his responses clipped, clearly just trying to continue with his reading.

Kurt licked his finger and turned to the next page of the book he was reading. He hadn't been able to properly concentrate on it since Rachel was prattling on so much. In his peripheral vision, he saw Blaine look up at him almost as if he was begging Kurt to save him. Kurt struggled to not let the smirk show on his face. He didn't want to give Blaine the satisfaction of knowing he had seen him staring. They often played this game together. It was usually at the table, over breakfast or dinner. Blaine would watch him intently and Kurt would pretend not to notice. It had made him nervous on Blaine's first day at the house but in the last week he had grown used to the familiar rules of their game. They never saw each other much outside of mealtimes. Blaine was always with Rachel, or his father, or Kurt's father, he was never available for just Kurt alone. So they would reacquaint with each other at the table, subtly, under the watchful gaze of both of their families. He still didn't fully understand why they played this game, or why Blaine always seemed so keen for a rematch, but he was starting to feel very flattered by all the attention.

He was so concentrated on purposefully avoiding Blaine's gaze he almost missed Rachel's next question. "Shall we go for a swim, Blaine?"

"A swim? And where will we do that, pray tell?" Blaine responded.

"There's a lake just beyond the hill over there." She pointed out of the window and Blaine got up to inspect. "You can't see it from here, it's hidden from view of the house." The way she said it seemed almost suggestive.

Blaine thought about it for a moment. "I think that sounds like a swell idea," he said at last. "But only if Kurt agrees to come too."

Kurt had to look up at that. His wide eyes met Blaine's and he stuttered over his answer. "M-me? Oh no… I don't think so." He shook his head but Blaine wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Come on, Kurt. You don't expect me to make a fool of myself in front of the lady _alone._ " His emphasis on the word made it quite clear to Kurt that Blaine didn't want to be left alone with his sister again. She had been particularly bothersome that afternoon. Kurt got up from his chair and placed his bookmark in his book.

"Alright," he gave in reluctantly.

* * *

Rachel ran ahead of them, pulling her dress over her head and throwing it onto the grass. She shamelessly turned to Blaine and beckoned him into the water, stood ankle deep in only her underclothes. She waded out until the water was at her waist before kicking off from the ground and swimming out into the middle of the lake.

Blaine wasn't far behind, whipping his buttoned shirt over his head without even fully undoing it first. Kurt couldn't help but stare hypnotised at Blaine's bare back. It was hot enough out that he was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Kurt watched the muscles in his back move as he reached down to undo his belt and trousers, pulling them off until he was standing in his undershorts. He didn't even stop to look back at Kurt, hitting the water at full speed sending big splashes everywhere. He dove underneath the water and when he surfaced water was glistening on his skin and dripping from individual curls that had been dislodged from his careful styling. He shook his head like a dog and Rachel screamed as she was splashed.

"Come on Kurt!" Rachel yelled, waving him over.

Blaine turned to face him and his face grew puzzled at Kurt standing on the grass still fully clothed. He gestured for Kurt to join them, smiling brightly. "The water feels great Kurt. Lovely and cool."

Kurt hesitated. He had always loved swimming with his sister when he was younger; But back then it had just been the two of them. He had never felt self-conscious about taking his clothes off in front of anyone before. He had no problem stripping down in front of Abella in the morning's and letting her bathe him, in fact he had done so that very morning. They had had plenty of guests at the house over the years and they had always gone swimming, revelling in the few sunny months a year they got before the winter came cold and harsh again. It wasn't something he usually even thought about. But he couldn't in front of Blaine. His hands were gripping his collar frozen over his top button. He could feel how awkward the wait for him to join them had become. He wished they would just look away while he did this but they were both staring at him in utter confusion. He sighed and began to fumble with the buttons until he reached the last one and the shirt fell open revealing his stomach. He slid it off his arms and to the ground before moving on to his trousers. They dropped and he stepped out of them gingerly.

Rachel had begun to swim again, quickly losing interest in her brother in favour of her future husband. Blaine, however, was not interested in her at all. He was watching Kurt as he entered the lake, noting the muscles in the boy's arms which rippled as he did the breaststroke toward them. They were usually hidden beneath his sleeves and Blaine couldn't help but admire them openly. He was used to just staring at Kurt and drinking him in but now there was so much more to see. The boy was much paler than his sister, which Blaine could see just from their faces, but seeing the same soft tone over his whole body made his mouth water.

They splashed around for a while, Kurt slowly becoming more comfortable and joining in on the fun. At one point Blaine started up a splashing war and Kurt screamed as his hair was wrecked by a tidal wave sent his way. Complaining that he now looked like a drowned rat, none of them saw when Abella reached the brow of the hill above them, her angry face zoning in on Rachel.

"RACHEL HUMMEL! WHAT DAY IS IT? HMMMMMM?" she yelled, lifting up her skirts as she thundered down the hill towards them. Rachel thought for a second before realisation dawned on her face.

"Wednesday…" she shouted back, sheepishly.

"WEDNESDAY! AND WHERE SHOULD YOU BE AT FOUR ON A WEDNESDAY?" she continued screeching.

"My singing lesson," Rachel said.

"YOUR SINGING LESSON! AND WHERE DO I FIND YOU INSTEAD? FROLICKING IN THE LAKE IN YOUR UNDERWEAR!"

She stood on the edge of the lake already having gathered up Rachel's clothes in her arms. Rachel looked between the two men and Abella before giving a resounding sigh and making her way to the water's edge. When she reached Abella she was grabbed by the arm and pulled up the hill and back towards the house, yelling the whole way about how embarrassed she was.

When they could no longer be heard, Blaine turned around to face Kurt. His face broke out into a loud guffaw before he leaned back and began moving his arms in a backstroke. He did a full circle around Kurt, his eyes closed as he floated underneath the boiling sun. Kurt watched mesmerised for a moment as Blaine's arms cut effortlessly through the water. His face was content and Kurt wanted nothing more than to be allowed to stare at him in a reverse of their usual positions in their game. Blaine opened one eye and squinted at Kurt, using one hand to shade his eyes.

"I've never been able to do that," Kurt admitted.

"What?"

"Swim backwards like that. I never could quite get the hang of it."

"I'll show you. It's simple really, come here," Blaine beckoned him over and Kurt stopped just in front of him. Blaine placed his hands carefully on Kurt's back guiding him until he was tilted backwards and facing up at the sky. Kurt could feel goose bumps rising on his skin at the gentle touch. "Just find your balance and float." Blaine slowly moved his hands away and Kurt found he was able to keep himself in the position quite easily. "Now, bring your arm up above your head and use it to propel yourself backwards. Kick off from the ground with your feet too." Kurt tried this, making a huge splash and only ending up with his head ducking beneath the water. He came up spluttering and unable to open his eyes properly. He could hear Blaine laughing and swimming over to where Kurt had launched himself.

He tried it a few more times until Blaine had him lasting at least two arms lengths before he would fall off kilter. They were both in stitches by this point and Kurt was well and truly soaked. His hair had completely flattened against his forehead from the amount of times he had accidentally been underwater. He was sure he looked a mess but he was having too much fun with Blaine to even consider it.

That was until Kurt took a step backwards and his foot came into contact with something slimy. He knew the lake was full of algae and small fish, but knowing it and feeling it were two very different things. Whatever it was had wrapped itself around Kurt's ankle and when he tried to pull his foot away it wouldn't loosen its grip. He began frantically pulling at it, his heart beginning to race. He yelled out and Blaine, who had his back to him, turned around in blind panic.

"Help! My foot is stuck on something!" Kurt screamed, his increasing worry starting to get the better of him. Blaine swam over and grabbed Kurt's hands, attempting to pull him free of whatever had hold of him.

They pulled together until Kurt was finally wrenched free and he fell forward into Blaine's waiting arms. It took him a moment to gather himself and confirm that he was indeed now free. He looked down through the water and wiggled his foot around, using Blaine's arms to hold himself upright as he checked himself over. Once he was happy everything was alright he looked up again and realised where he was. Wrapped up in Blaine's embrace with the older man's face just inches from his own.

He felt an immediate coil tighten in his stomach. All he could see, smell, hear and feel was Blaine. His eyes were bright and staring right into Kurt's own, his lips pulled back into a small smile. Blaine was standing on a small mound underneath the water which put him above the usually taller boy. Water was dripping from his hair and landing on Kurt's cheeks and forehead as he looked up at him. Blaine's eyes flashed down to Kurt's lips and Kurt felt his heart quicken as he started to understand what Blaine was going to do next. The older of the two leaned down slowly and closed his eyes when he was millimetres away from Kurt's lips. Kurt's body wanted to give in, wanted to let Blaine take his first kiss and more. But his head was screaming at him to stop this. This was wrong.

Before Blaine could get any closer, Kurt let out a squeak and threw himself backwards through the water. Blaine froze where he was and opened his eyes startled. He looked over at Kurt with a very hurt look on his face before the younger boy turned away and made his way as fast as he could back to the grass. Once out he grabbed his clothes up quickly, not even pausing to put any of them on, just running up the hill without a single glance back. He didn't know if Blaine had tried to follow him; He only knew he had to get out of there.

With tears running down his face, Kurt ran around the back of the house and through the kitchen door. He couldn't risk meeting any of his or Blaine's family members on his way back to his room. Some of the staff looked at him in shock as he ran past them dressed only in his sodden underclothes and clearly distraught over something, but he paid them no mind. He pounded up the stairs and slammed his door closed behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Lord Anderson and Burt Hummel were having a deep discussion about the current economic climate… or was it about the state of monarchy… or the tension that was brewing overseas? Blaine didn't know, he had stopped listening long ago. Instead, he was staring out of the window in Burt's study. It looked out onto the front gardens and if he craned his neck far enough he could see around to the side of the house. Staff members were coming and going from a door down there and he watched as they went about their daily routines. There was a sense of urgency down there, it was lively and compared to the stuffy environment within the study it made Blaine long to be outside. He would even have offered to help the gardener with pulling up the weeds if it meant he could escape from this meeting.

The sun was warming his face perfectly through the glass and his eyes were beginning to droop. Neither of the other men seemed to have noticed that he was not taking part in the conversation. That was how his father usually preferred him, present but silent. Not making everything worse by offering his opinion on things. Nothing he ever said was correct with that man anyway.

Sometimes he hated the position he had been born into. He knew he was incredibly lucky to be where he was in life but it came with certain responsibilities that he had no interest in upholding. He didn't want to find a wife. He didn't even want to have kids of his own if it meant he was just going to have to raise them with the same pressures he had been raised with. His life was one long boring stream of parties and women and money. He never got to think for himself, never got to decide where he wanted to be and when. Everything was decided for him down to who he would get to speak to. It was always important to his parents that he talk to _this young lad_ y or _this man_ and they were all so boring. All cut from the same cloth and only interested in him because he was the son of a Lord, they didn't want to actually know _Blaine._

That had been until he had met… No. He had promised himself he wouldn't think about _him_ anymore. It had been 9 years and he wasn't even in this country anymore - no thanks to Blaine's father. Oh, he had sure been instrumental in getting rid of that mistake. Blaine turned to glare at his father, the old wounds starting to sting again. He was laughing with Kurt's father, blissfully unaware of Blaine's dark stare and sudden change in mood. Blaine rolled his eyes and turned back to the window where he caught a glimpse of Kurt leaving via the door all of the staff had been using. He perched on his tip toes and watched as the boy, who was holding a large wicker basket, walked along with a dark-skinned girl towards the gardens. They both started to pick vegetables, tossing them into the basket and laughing. They were having an animated conversation about something and he could see when the girl began to roll with laughter at Kurt's impression of someone. When they had finished they walked back to the side door and went inside again.

"Blaine?" he heard his father ask.

He turned to look at them both quickly before clearing his throat. "Ahem, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling so well. I think I'll go and lie down," he said, smiling at Burt and leaving the study. He didn't even spare another glance for his father who was no doubt furious at his sudden exit.

He walked directly past his bedroom and continued on, down the stairs and out the front door. He immediately turned left and made his way around to the side of the house. Kurt had been avoiding him for the last three days since they had almost kissed at the lake. If he wasn't going to come and speak to him then Blaine would have to do the talking for him. Kurt almost looked as if he was going to burst into tears every time he had to be in the same room as Blaine. Blaine couldn't stand it any longer.

He reached the door and peeked inside having no idea where it led. It was even hotter inside there than it was outside, an oven was being used to bake bread and it was heating up the entire room. It smelled delightful and Blaine found himself wandering through the room, through another door and into a room with a huge table in the centre. It took up most of the room and was covered in all kinds of ingredients and utensils. He flicked over the pages on a cookbook and noticed it was dog eared at a recipe for shepherd's pie.

"Excuse me? What are you doing here?" a woman's voice came from behind him. He recognised her as the same woman that had dragged Rachel from the lake and to her singing lesson. She was looking at him with a frown, her arms folded across her chest. He felt instantly chastised.

"Oh… I was looking for Kurt?" he said, with it coming out as more of a question than a statement.

"And what makes you think Mister Kurt would be down 'ere?" she snapped at him, but her eyes kept shifting over to the door behind Blaine's shoulder.

"I saw him going through that door. Look, I need to speak with him urgently. Is he here?"

She opened her mouth to answer him but her eyes locked on the door behind him again. He turned and saw that Kurt was standing in the threshold. He was holding a bowl in his arms which had a wooden spoon resting in it. His blank expression held no clue as to what he was feeling. He looked towards the woman and spoke.

"It's okay, Abella."

She looked back and forth between the two boys before pulling her apron off and hanging it over the back of a chair. "Ten minutes." And she left them alone.

Kurt walked past him and placed the bowl on the table. He looked up and Blaine could see that his eyes were already starting to water. "You shouldn't be here," he whispered.

"Why not? You are, which I am surprised at by the way. You cook?" Blaine tried to keep his tone light and playful but Kurt didn't seem at all receptive. He gave no response to Blaine's question, just kept his chin up and stared ahead of him. "Kurt…"

The boy shook his head vehemently and moved away from where Blaine was reaching out to touch his arm. Blaine sighed and went to run his fingers through his hair before remembering that it was gelled down. "We have to talk about what happened," Blaine said, keeping his volume low.

"Nothing happened. Nothing at all," Kurt snapped savagely. " _I_ stopped it before it could. What were you thinking?! What do you think is going to happen here? With us? It's not possible, Blaine." Blaine stood in quiet shock. That was not the reaction he had been expecting from Kurt. He couldn't think of a suitable answer to what he was asking. Kurt kept going, oblivious to Blaine's inner turmoil. "All you do is stare at me all the time. You ignore my sister completely. I have no clue what to expect from one day to the next." A man entered from the door behind Kurt and Kurt turned around and screamed "OUT!" at him. The man's eyes widened and he scurried back from where he had come.

Blaine could see Kurt was getting himself more and more riled up by the second. He hadn't even been able to interject anything yet and by the next words out of his mouth, Kurt had tears streaming down his face.

"And all I can feel is… Guilt. All the time. Guilt for my sister, for my parents and yours. Guilt to God, because this is… wrong… it's all wrong." He was openly sobbing at this point. He took in a shaky breath and continued. "But most of all, I feel guilt for you. Because of how… how I feel about you. I saw how devastated you were when I didn't let you… kiss me. But… we just… we can't, Blaine."

Blaine watched the younger boy break down. Kurt fell onto his knees and pulled his arms around himself in a hug. He tried to calm himself down before looking back up at Blaine again. But when he looked up, Blaine was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Blaine slammed his bedroom door shut, sure that it had reverberated throughout the entire house. His fist met the wall three times before he pulled his jacket off and slung it on the bed. He went to sit on the edge of the mattress but missed and ended up sliding down the silk sheets and onto the floor. He landed with a thump and his head fell into his hands. This wasn't supposed to be happening again? Why was it happening again? He had vowed to himself that he would never feel like this about anyone ever again. When Kurt had started crying in front of him all he had wanted was to scoop him and up and kiss him all over, not resting until the boy was happy again. He couldn't stand the sight of those tears on Kurt's perfect porcelain skin and, even more, he couldn't stand the thought that it was he who had put them there.

Blaine let the tears fall from his own eyes now, sobbing his heart out into the palms of his hands. He had not felt hurt like this in a long time. And it was not even himself he was sad for, it was for Kurt downstairs who had just flat out admitted that he cared about Blaine. They both had confirmation of each other's feelings and neither could do anything about it. His heart felt like it was shrinking inside his chest as he emptied his eyes until there was nothing left to cry with anymore. He lifted his head and noted it had begun to darken outside his window. He must have been there for hours. He was surprised that Rachel had not once come to find him in that time.

He briefly considered not going down to dinner, he had already told his father and Burt he wasn't feeling well earlier. He could just feign a stomach bug and spend the next few days in bed. Give Kurt the space he needed. But then he remembered that Kurt was cooking dinner tonight, or at least he had been before Blaine had interrupted.

He reluctantly got ready, splashing cold water onto his face to try and hide how red and splotchy it was. He made his way downstairs and into the dining room. Kurt was already sitting down in his chair opposite, his usually pale face even whiter tonight. There was no way they were going to be playing their usual games at this meal.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Blaine giggled as his back hit the bed. The body above him pressed down and he could feel his lover's hard member pressing into his hip. He snaked his hands around his shoulders and pulled him down into a ferocious kiss, Blaine's hands tangling into the blonde curls at the back of his head._

 _Blaine's eyes rolled back into his head as the other boy kissed across his jaw and took his earlobe into his mouth. They were never usually so rough with each other but tonight he could feel an urgency from his lover that had never been present before. He ran his hands over Blaine's bare chest, not stopping until he was gripping his waist. Blaine let out a low moan as he moved his lips to Blaine's neck and began to suck…_

 _But as always Blaine didn't get to find out what was coming next. The boy above him was pulled backwards by his hair and thrown across the room. And Blaine looked up into the familiar glare of his father's eyes…_

Blaine sat up in bed. His heart no longer pounded when he had this dream, after all it had been nine long years since he had last seen _him._ It used to be one of his worst nightmares, reliving it over and over again. Back when he was only sixteen and had no idea what his father was truly capable of. He had put it out of his mind as best as he could but recently it had all been coming back to him. He wasn't oblivious as to why. And his father wasn't either, if their conversation the week prior had been anything to go by. He knew. He had seen the way Blaine had looked at Kurt upon first meeting him and he _knew._ When Blaine had told him that day that he did not like Miss Rachel Hummel, well, that had been the final straw for his father.

He looked down and realised he was still hard from the dream. The beginning part of it, anyway. He lay his head back on the pillow and reached his hand down to stroke himself beneath his undershorts, before impatiently pulling them down to his knees. But it wasn't _him_ that flashed into his mind this time. It was Kurt.

This was not the first time he had imagined Kurt this way. Ever since the lake, he had not been able to stop himself. He had come hard just thinking of Kurt alone for the last three nights. He closed his eyes and thought of how close Kurt had been when he'd had hold of him in the lake. He had been able to smell the soft fragrance of Kurt's skin and he had gotten close enough to feel the little puffs of air coming from his parted lips. He had been so sure Kurt was going to let him kiss him. As he tugged on his shaft, he imagined what would have happened had Kurt not pulled away. How their lips would have met and he would have been able to confirm whether Kurt actually tasted of cinnamon or if that was just something his mind had cooked up during his nightly wonderings. He knew Kurt's lips would have been very soft, every part of the boy looked soft to the touch.

Kurt had strong looking thighs which Blaine knew were from years of riding his horse. If Blaine were to lift him up, he knew that Kurt would be able to grip them around his waist and stay there. His head ran through several different scenarios: _Kurt straddling him on a stool down in the stable,_ and, _both of them in the lake with Blaine gripping Kurt's cheeks beneath the water and making him squeak again,_ and finally, _Blaine taking him over the piano, pounding into his body as Kurt grips the wooden frame and screams into the darkened room._

It doesn't take long for him to finish and he puts his other fist over his mouth to stop from yelling out loud. He is streaked with the white fluid but luckily it all seems to stay on him and not get on the bed. He grabs a nearby rag which he uses to wipe his hands free of any excess gel when he's getting ready, and cleans himself up. He hides the rag at the back of one of his drawers and hopes that none of the maids think to look in there anytime soon.


	5. Chapter 5

"…and now I don't know what to do," Kurt finished, looking at Mercedes with tear filled eyes. It was three in the morning and Kurt had been in her room upstairs in the servant's quarters for hours. He had feigned going to bed in front of his family but as soon as their bedroom doors were closed he had snuck out and gone up to speak to his closest friend. He hadn't been sure whether she would be open to what he had to say but she had listened intently and not interrupted as he described everything that had happened with Blaine.

She shook her head several times while trying to think up something to say. She had never expected this. Kurt had been acting strange ever since the Anderson family had arrived but he hadn't been brave enough to tell her anything until now. She moved closer to him and wrapped him in her arms tightly.

"Oh Kurt. Did you want him to kiss you?" she asked, rubbing her hands up and down his arms to warm up the now shivering boy. He quietly nodded his head and looked down.

"But, how could I?" he said. "He's a man, Mercedes. He's sweet, kind, gentle, funny – really everything I could ever look for in a partner. But he's a man. Nothing could ever happen between us. We'd be ostracised."

"Not to mention he's engaged to your sister," Mercedes added, braving the glare Kurt sent her way. She sighed. "Well, it sounds to me like you didn't really give him a chance to talk."

Kurt looked at her confused as to why she was taking his side. Blaine _had_ been given the chance to talk. Kurt had gotten himself so overwhelmed he had rendered himself pretty much speechless there on the kitchen floor, and Blaine had chosen to run away. Left him there a sobbing mess for Abella to find when she returned.

"Maybe you should take him aside and talk to him properly. No tears involved. Ask him exactly how he feels, about you, about Rachel, about everything. Then you'll know for sure."

Kurt thought of being alone with the man again and a shiver went through his body. He rested his head on Mercedes' shoulder and let out a giant sigh.

"Okay. I'll do it."

* * *

Blaine was in the middle of an afternoon game of cards with Burt Hummel and his father. He had been planning on taking his book down to the lake and reading it by the waterside but his father had insisted he join them. Blaine wondered if it was just because he wanted to know where he was, and who he was with, at all times.

A butler came in with their drinks, Blaine opting for tea rather than the other men's choice of whiskey. Still feeling very emotionally exhausted from the day before, he did not want anything to impair his judgment. He leaned forward to pick up his cup, blowing on the rim before taking a sip. As he brought the drink to his lips he caught sight of a piece of parchment which had been sneakily placed beneath the saucer his cup had been on. He pulled it out subtly, not wanting the other men to see it. Written in a messy scrawl was a message:

 _Come when you hear the piano play._

He must have reread it at least five times before it truly sank in. This was from Kurt, he wanted to see him. Tonight. He knew Kurt only practiced on his piano at night time, had heard it enough over the last week. This was an invitation which meant Kurt wasn't mad at him anymore. Right? With his nerves starting to kick in, Blaine folded up the note and put it in his inside jacket pocket.

* * *

Kurt paced back and forth frantically. Had Blaine received the note? Would he even be willing to come after the last time they had talked? Kurt had tossed and turned all night after leaving Mercedes, unsure of how to go about getting Blaine alone for an extended amount of time. They were always expected to be with Rachel or their parents, the only times they had truly been alone had been by happenstance (or by the carefully constructed manoeuvring of Blaine).

But this time Kurt was the one organising the meeting. He wasn't even completely sure what he wanted to say to Blaine. He had a feeling the words would come once he was looking into the other man's eyes. He would know once and for all whether he was truly willing to give this a try. He knew they would have to be careful should they be together, and god only knew what the future could possibly have in store for them. But his heart was telling him he should at last do something to make _himself_ happy. He was always worrying after his sister, his mother and even his father. Perhaps now it was time for him to worry about himself.

He sat down at his piano and hesitated before beginning to play the opening chords of the piece Blaine had overheard on his first night in the house. With everything that had been going on he hadn't even showed this piece to his mother yet, so far Blaine had been the only one to hear it. He wondered whether Blaine could hear right now and if he was on his way, the butterflies fluttering inside his stomach at the thought.

He was almost finished with the piece and starting to worry that Blaine was never going to show when the door opened. He stopped playing and felt his throat tighten as he took in Blaine's dishevelled appearance. He had never (bar the time the water had messed up his hair in the lake) seen Blaine without his perfectly flattened down hair before. The curls sprang out in every direction and were actually much longer than Kurt had thought, falling to just past the top of his ears. He was wearing a robe over his underclothes but he hadn't fastened it so it fell open as he closed the door. He turned to look at Kurt before opening out his right hand and holding the note in front of him. He started to make his way over to the piano, looking around at the drawn curtains on all of the windows. There was an armchair just next to where Kurt sat and he perched himself on the edge of it, not quite sure whether he should relax into it just yet.

Kurt kept his eyes on the piano for a minute more as he gathered up the courage to say what he needed to. He knew once he turned towards Blaine there would be no going back.

"Thank you for coming," he whispered. Blaine didn't move, just watched him and waited for more. "I'm sorry for yesterday. I wasn't ready to speak with you yet. But I am now."

"Don't apologise. Please, don't," Blaine said. "I'm sorry I made you so upset. I should have known you'd be struggling with this."

Kurt finally turned his head to regard Blaine. The other man looked incredibly tense on the edge of his seat. Kurt shuffled around on his stool until his whole body was facing him.

"You're probably wondering why I invited you here," Kurt started. "But I wanted to ask you something before we begin."

"Anything, Kurt"

"A week ago, just after you first arrived here, I overheard a conversation between you and your father. I didn't know what it meant at the time but I've thought about it a lot since," Kurt said. Blaine's face remained calm and he waited again for Kurt to continue. Kurt looked away from his eyes and down at his own hands, twisting them within each other uncomfortably. "Does your father know? That you… prefer men to women. He asked why you were insisting on doing 'this' again. What did he mean by that?"

Blaine's eyes widened in surprise and he moved backwards into the chair. Kurt watched as several different emotions flitted across his face. His eyebrows furrowed and he too looked down at his hands before choosing to speak.

"Yes. He does know."

xxxx

 _Jeremiah Hunt had been one of Blaine's closest friends from the age of thirteen. Their families were very close and he often came over to visit Blaine at his home. The two were polar opposites – Jeremiah was always shy and sweet whereas Blaine was a mischief maker. They brought out the very best in each other, though, and everyone always said that they were inseparable._

 _On the eve of Blaine's sixteenth birthday, Jeremiah had come up to his room to give him his birthday present before his big party the next day. He held the box out to Blaine and the shorter boy took it and gleefully ripped the bow off the top. He was grinning from ear to ear as he reached into the paper inside which was covering the expensive riding jacket. It was the exact one he had seen on a trip to town together earlier in the month, but hadn't had the time to stop and buy. He gave it to Jeremiah to hold as he pulled off his current jacket and then the taller blonde boy held it open so he could slip his arms inside the sleeves. Blaine ran over to his mirror to admire himself in it. He turned and inspected it from every angle before turning back to Jeremiah and enveloping him in a gigantic bear hug._

" _Only the best for my Blainey," Jeremiah had whispered into his ear and Blaine had immediately felt the atmosphere change. He pulled back slightly until their faces were only inches apart. Jeremiah had a look in his eyes that Blaine had never seen before. Blaine opened his mouth to say something and Jeremiah suddenly leaned in and claimed his mouth in a kiss. Blaine was initially very surprised, his eyes opening wide, but he quickly settled into the kiss, allowing Jeremiah to take the lead. The taller boy had kept on making little sounds in the back of his throat that drove Blaine wild. They had both stumbled backwards towards the bed, giggling._

xxxx

"After that night, we met up quite frequently. Nobody ever knew anything was going on because we spent all of our time together anyway. Jeremiah once had a cousin who was visiting from overseas and he was the only one who ever knew about us. Walked in on us in Jeremiah's bedroom. He was very open about the whole thing, in fact he actually told us about a lot of stuff we had never tried before…" Blaine could see Kurt was growing very uncomfortable with the whole conversation, his face had gone a bright blood red colour. "Anyway… one night my father walked in on us. Neither of us had been expecting it but apparently he had known for a while. We had thought we were being so careful. He pulled him off me and started screaming at us. I'd never seen anyone so angry before."

Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. His head rested upon his arm on the piano as he listened and he could feel his heart aching for the younger Blaine and Jeremiah. "What happened to him?" he asked quietly.

Blaine's face became angry. "He's gone. I didn't even get to say goodbye. My father had him and his cousin shipped overseas immediately, convinced his parents some time abroad would do him good. He got married and never came back."

Kurt's mouth hung open. He could see the overwhelming hurt in Blaine's eyes as he recounted this painful story from his past. He couldn't even imagine his father doing anything like that to him. "I'm sorry, Blaine," he said softly. "And now… now your father knows about me too?"

"I think he does. He hasn't outright said so, but I know he's suspicious of my feelings for you."

Kurt's mouth formed a silent 'oh' and he nodded his head. He got up from his stool and walked over to Blaine before getting on his knees in front of him. He took both of Blaine's hands in his and in a gesture similar to when they had first met, kissed them both before looking up at him. "I still feel guilty," he admitted. "When I think of what this would do to my sister, it makes me want to leave and never speak to you again. It makes me feel sick."

He looked directly into Blaine's eyes and saw the golden swirls that were highlighted by the flickering candlelight. The older man was gazing down at him in complete adoration. He released one of his hands from Kurt's grasp and traced his fingers down from Kurt's hairline to his jaw. Kurt closed his eyes and moved his head to the side to kiss the palm of Blaine's hand. He slowly opened them again and Blaine was standing and pulling him with him. He placed his hands on either side of Kurt's face and looked up at him questioningly. Kurt hesitated before he grabbed his robe, pulling the older man up to meet his lips.

Kurt had always expected that his first kiss would be slow and romantic, but he would have taken this clash of tongues and teeth with Blaine over that any day. The older man had taken Kurt's lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it before releasing it with a wet pop. Kurt felt himself being pushed backwards until he hit the piano. Blaine pressed right into him and Kurt's hands reached up until they were tangled in his hair. He loved the look and feel of it without the thick gel, and he ran his hands through it before tugging at it gently. Blaine groaned in response, plundering his tongue into the younger boy's mouth. Their breathing increased until neither could tell which of them was panting the most, they had become one joint heaving mess of hot air.

Kurt could feel Blaine's hardness pressed up against his own and he gasped and looked down at where their crotches were joined through their undershorts. Blaine wasted no time in moving on to his neck as soon as Kurt's lips were out of reach, licking a long stripe from his collar bone and up before sucking on one particular spot. Kurt experimented by moving his hips unsurely and a warm jolt of pleasure shot through his whole body. He did it again and again until he had a nice rhythm going and Blaine was practically purring in his ear. The older man gripped onto his hips to steady him and rolled his hips upwards and into Kurt. Kurt's hands fell behind him to grip onto the piano and his head fell back at the sensation. They continued grinding into each other until Kurt began to whimper and brought his head close to Blaine's ear.

"I'm close Blaine," he whispered, only just forming the words through his ragged breath.

"Me too. Come with me, Kurt," Blaine panted back and before long they both looked each other in the eyes and let go. Kurt's orgasm rushed through him like none he had ever felt before. His vision went completely white and his head fell forward to rest on Blaine's shoulder. He heard as Blaine groaned loudly, clenching his teeth together to try and quieten himself, as he too came. They stood there like that for a while as they basked in the afterglow. The only word Blaine could have used to describe his feelings right then was pure elation. Kurt had willingly given himself over to him and it had been even more incredible than all of Blaine's fantasies combined. Well they _were_ sort of on the piano so that was one he could check off his list. The boy didn't taste like cinnamon but instead he had a heady flavour to his lips that left Blaine wanting more and more. He heard a light giggle and looked up to see Kurt was smiling. Really smiling, from ear to ear. He loosened his grip on his hips and leaned in to kiss him softly.

"Well…" Blaine started.

"That was…" Kurt said.

"Unexpected," Blaine finished.

They both dissolved into laughter as they looked down at the wet stains covering both of their crotch areas. "I think we should probably go and clean ourselves up," Kurt said.

"Yes," Blaine sighed. "But first…" He leaned in to press a kiss to Kurt's lips and the younger boy's eyes fluttered shut again. Once finished, they made their way back to their respective rooms stopping outside Kurt's door.

"Meet me tomorrow," Blaine insisted.

"Where?"

"It's Sunday, after prayer everyone usually goes their separate ways. We could go for a walk around the gardens together, maybe find a secluded spot…" Kurt giggled as Blaine began to plant little kisses all over his face.

"Okay. I'll meet you outside at 11," he whispered, before turning to open his bedroom door. "Goodnight Blaine."


	6. Chapter 6

Just before eleven the next day, Kurt was stood in the entryway of the house awaiting Blaine. He was very excited for their walk and could barely contain his grin as members of the household staff walked past him bemused. He watched as the clock ticked on past eleven and crawled closer to ten past. His ears perked up as a set of footsteps came down the stairs opposite. He turned in excitement but it was soon dashed at the sight of Rachel. She ran past him to the coat stand by the door, picked up her favourite cloak and secured it around her shoulders. She looked to Kurt before gushing out, "Blaine is accompanying me on a walk through the gardens." She flitted out of the door with no further word and sat on a bench outside to wait until her future husband was ready.

Kurt's face fell in utter confusion. Something had obviously changed Blaine's mind after he had gone to bed the night before. He must have been feeling regret for everything that had happened between them and was now choosing to focus himself on Kurt's sister instead; without even letting Kurt know first.

Kurt backed away from the stairs and ran quickly down the hallway, covering his mouth to stop any loud sobs escaping. He entered the first empty room he came across and slammed the door shut. He was in his father's parlour and he walked over to his great armchair and threw himself down on it. He allowed himself to cry for a while before pulling himself up and smoothing down his clothes. He looked into the mirror above the fireplace and wiped at his wet face. He felt like he had done enough crying in the last week to last him a lifetime; his emotions were shot.

Once presentable, he left the room and slowly made his way upstairs. As he was opening his bedroom door, he felt two strong arms encircle his waist from behind. A kiss was planted on the left side of his neck and he turned around in surprise. "Wha-…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't say you are furious with me," Blaine pleaded, his puppy dog eyes burning into Kurt's.

"Furious with you? How could I be? You have made your choice and I shall just have to live with it," Kurt said solemnly.

"What?" Blaine asked, puzzled.

"You've chosen Rachel. And I understand – really Blaine, I do. It's the smart choice to make." Blaine had been shaking his head throughout Kurt's whole speech. "You'd better go, you are keeping her waiting."

"KURT! NO! That is absolutely not what is happening here," Blaine yelled, before looking around to make sure no one was listening. "I was foolish. My father asked me what my plans for the day were and I stupidly told him I planned to go for a lone walk. He insisted I take Rachel along. I'm so sorry Kurt, I've ruined our plans – yes – but I am NOT choosing Rachel over you."

Kurt considered Blaine with a glint in his eyes. He sighed in relief before kissing Blaine fully on the mouth. "I thought you regretted what happened last night…"

"Never."

Kurt felt a blush rising in his cheeks at the complete conviction Blaine placed onto that word. "And besides, you have no right to be upset. It's me that should be crying given I have to spend the time with Rachel," Blaine whispered, his forehead resting on Kurt's.

Kurt let out a short giggle before composing himself and using his hand to open the door behind his back. "Enjoy yourself," he teased, backing into his room. "I'll see you downstairs."

* * *

Blaine had ended up having to spend almost the entire day in Rachel's company. After their walk, she had insisted on putting on a performance for him up in Kurt's piano room. They had stopped by Kurt's room on the way after Blaine suggested he play for her while she sing. Kurt had reluctantly agreed – if only to spend some time in Blaine's presence.

Blaine had sat in the armchair by the piano to watch Rachel, but secretly he had been teasing Kurt. He had locked eyes with the younger boy halfway through Rachel's second song. He subtly gestured towards the side of the piano he'd had Kurt pressed up against the night before, and Kurt had flushed a beautiful red shade that had extended all the way down his neck. As Kurt had remembered the way Blaine's hands had gripped his waist and the feel of his mouth as it had sucked on his neck, his hands faltered and he missed a note in the song. Rachel had turned to glare at him and he'd stuttered out an apology before throwing a dirty look towards Blaine who was almost bursting at the seams with silent giggles. Luckily, the ever-oblivious Rachel had not seemed to notice.

Kurt laughed at the memory from where he was now on his back on the grass in the gardens, staring up at the stars in wonder. The summer nights were warm enough that even now at ten o'clock it was still not necessary that he wrap up.

He felt more than saw when Blaine joined him, confirming that once again he had received one of Kurt's carefully hidden notes. This time it had been written inside of a book Kurt had recommended Blaine read and allowed him to borrow, heavily suggesting under Rachel's gaze that he should start it _tonight._ Blaine had opened the book and there written on the inside cover was:

 _Want an even better view of the garden? Ten o'clock._

Blaine had wandered around the gardens for a while before seeing the flickering light of a candle coming from behind a row of bushes. He lay down on his side next to Kurt and immediately started placing light kisses down the side of his face. Kurt closed his eyes and allowed Blaine to continue until he was hovering just above his lips. He felt as Blaine leaned in slowly, pressing their lips together in a light kiss that started out innocent but quickly became heated when Blaine moaned into his mouth. "I missed you," he whispered, and the words sent tingles through Kurt's spine.

"We did see each other today," Kurt replied, looking up at him.

"I know. But the whole time I was thinking about how I could be holding you, and touching you but I couldn't. We were in the same room and yet thousands of miles apart," Blaine said, his eyes clouding over with something Kurt did not recognise. His gaze roved down Kurt's body slowly and he started tracing his hands over the boy's covered abdomen.

Kurt watched him curiously. Blaine's mouth was parted and his breathing was slow and deep. He looked into Kurt's eyes again and said in a hushed voice, "Tell me everything about you."

Kurt was surprised at the request, expecting that Blaine would sooner want to be kissing than talking. He thought for a moment of exactly what Blaine would want to know before launching into his favourite things. "Well, I love the piano, but you already knew that. I've cared for several different horses throughout my life, the most current being Blackbird. Before you came, if you ever needed to find me you only had to look in my piano room or the stable and I'd probably be there."

"It's the same now," Blaine teased.

"I love to read, and I often fix up my own clothes. I love taking something simple and turning it into something beautiful. I help out in the kitchen a lot, Abella taught me how to cook when I was little and I've been fascinated ever since. Did you enjoy your shepherd's pie?"

Blaine smiled. "I did. It was the best I had ever tasted."

"I know," Kurt said smugly.

They laughed and Kurt reached behind him to grab something. In his hands he held an undershirt, which Blaine recognised immediately. The day they had gone swimming in the lake he had taken it off and thrown it to the ground, but when gathering up his clothes he had noticed it was missing. Thinking either Kurt or Abella had taken it by mistake in their hurry, he hadn't thought about it since.

"I took this. It was underneath my clothes and I picked it up by accident but when I realised I had it… I kept it," he admitted. Even in the dark lit through a single candle, Blaine could see a blush rising on his fair face. "I hid it in my room and I took it out sometimes, usually when I was crying… which was often. I've had a very emotional week." He smiled, looking down at the garment in his hands. "You can have it back."

Blaine shook his head. "Keep it."

Kurt brought the shirt to his chest, cradling it before depositing it behind him again. He turned towards Blaine and they both sat up. They sat with their hands placed upon each other's chests before Kurt moved his upwards and into Blaine's hair, which was once again curly and free. Blaine's eyes fluttered shut at the sensation and Kurt giggled. "You like it when I touch your hair."

"I've always liked people playing with it. I love having it washed," Blaine admitted.

"Me too!" Kurt agreed.

He gently pushed Blaine down onto his back again before lightly tracing his fingers over his face. Blaine let him map out his eyes and nose, but when he reached his mouth the older man took the tip of Kurt's index finger between his lips. He sucked on it gently before releasing it and pressing a kiss to the end. Kurt watched him in awe, his lower region tightening in response Blaine's full lips wrapped around his digit. He bit his lower lip when Blaine looked up at him from beneath his thick lashes. The older man had a coy look on his face as Kurt reached down to caress his body, pushing his shirt up timidly to expose the skin underneath. He ran his fingers over the muscles, finding a dark line of hair that led straight down into Blaine's trousers. He loved how Blaine's body was so masculine, feeling no doubt in his mind that he was one hundred percent attracted to men.

His hands dipped lower until they were at Blaine's waistband and he ran his fingers along it apprehensively. Blaine was watching him with the same unfamiliar look in his eyes as before which Kurt now realised was pure lust. He had never had anyone direct that look at him before so he had been unsure at first, but now he knew. The bulge in Blaine's trousers more than gave that away. Did he look as breathtakingly beautiful to Blaine as Blaine did to him right now?

There was nothing stopping him from reaching down and unsheathing Blaine right then and there. He had already helped Blaine to come before, although he hadn't actually seen the other man's member. He wasn't sure why he suddenly felt frozen at the very idea. He lifted his head to meet Blaine's gaze before pulling back slightly and frowning.

"What's the matter?" Blaine asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

Kurt felt so silly admitting it to Blaine after the previous night, but he just knew that he wasn't ready yet. "I'm scared," he whispered. "It feels like if I do this… there's no going back."

Blaine sat up immediately and took the younger boy into his arms. As much as he had wanted Kurt to carry on in the direction he seemed to be headed, he didn't want to do anything with the boy if he wasn't ready. He held him close to his chest, whispering in his ear that it was alright.

"If you don't feel like you can do anything tonight then that's okay, Kurt," he said, holding the other boy's chin up to look him in the eyes. "We can just kiss if you'd like, I am more than okay with that." He rubbed his nose against Kurt's.

"I don't want to be afraid. God, I feel like such a child," Kurt whined in embarrassed frustration, picking up some nearby stones and throwing them into the foliage.

"Kurt, don't be silly. I certainly don't think you are a child. Now come here and kiss me," Blaine said with finality. He leaned in and kissed Kurt softly but the younger boy, now unnecessarily eager to prove he wasn't a baby, grabbed the back of his head and pressed himself in harder. He tugged on Blaine's bottom lip with his teeth before slipping his tongue inside his mouth. Blaine's eyes widened in shock at the sudden forwardness of Kurt, who was now crawling into his lap and straddling him. He placed his hands at the back of Kurt's waist to hold him in place and craned his neck to chase his lips as they moved. Kurt moaned loudly into Blaine's mouth and Blaine groaned at how erotic it sounded coming from the usually demure Kurt's mouth.

They began to grind against each other frantically, not even kissing anymore as they both looked down at their fused crotches. It didn't feel as good through their trousers as it had through just their underwear the night before, so Blaine reached down to loosen his belt. As he was fumbling with the buckle he heard something from behind the bushes shielding them.

"Kurt? Is that you?"

Kurt hadn't heard the voice and so looked offended when Blaine threw him off and stood up. "What on earth?" he hissed.

"It's Rachel!" Blaine whispered. Kurt's eyes went wide and he madly looked around before Rachel came into view just a few feet away from them.

"What is going on?" she asked. "Kurt, it's past midnight. Why are you out in the gardens?"

Kurt looked behind him at Blaine but realised he was nowhere to be found. He must have quickly found a hiding place before Rachel had seen him; Kurt sighed in relief. "Ummmm… I was just enjoying a night time stroll, and thought I would take a rest here," he said, hoping that Rachel would be satisfied.

"Oh. I couldn't sleep either. I saw the candlelight from my bedroom window and came to investigate. I checked your room first but you weren't there so I figured it was you out here." She sighed and plopped herself down on the ground. Kurt winced and looked around trying to locate Blaine but it was too dark to make anything out.

"Well… I am going to head back now," he announced loudly, backing away from his sister towards the main pathway back to the house. As he glanced back at Rachel, however, he noticed the young girl's eyes were full of tears. "Rachel… what's wrong?"

"Blaine hates me!" she screamed, finally letting the waterworks out. "I was supposed to marry him and become a Lady one day and everything was going perfectly according to plan but now he hates me!"

"Why do you think he hates you?"

"Because! Whenever I try to sit with him he moves away from me! I have invited him to watch me sing several times in the last week and he has only come to see me once! And you messed up the song!" She was bordering on hysterical now, pointing her finger at Kurt. "And even when we were taking our walk earlier, he spent the entire damn thing talking about how amazing YOU are! Not me, YOU! He said 'Oh, wow, isn't your brother a wonderful cook?' A cook?! I didn't even know you had ever cooked, Kurt. But HE did. I tried telling him about all of MY accomplishments and he kept bringing everything back to you! It was ridiculous!"

Kurt could feel his heart pounding in his chest as Rachel ranted and raved. Had Blaine really spent the entire walk talking about him? The thought gave him a little fluttering feeling in the base of his stomach but he had to focus on the matter at hand.

"And then when I finally got him to come and listen to me sing, he said he would only listen if YOU were the one accompanying me. What have you done to enthral him like this? He is supposed to be here for ME!" She had become so enraged she was almost growling out her words towards the end.

Kurt held his hands up defensively and slowly approached the bawling girl. "Rachel… I don't know what you are talking about. Blaine and I have formed a solid friendship, that is all. I am sure he does not _hate_ you." Kurt felt guilty saying this to her, knowing the truth was that Blaine wasn't very fond of the girl at all. "Maybe you are just overthinking this."

"I am not! You stay away from him!" She screeched. "Everyone knows about you, you know. Everyone knows what how you really feel about him. You can't sob your heart out on the kitchen floor over him and not expect the staff to gossip. And if you don't stay away from him, I am going to tell mother."

She rose from the floor and walked away, turning back to softly say, "I _will_ be a Lady soon. You mark my words."

And with that she left Kurt there feeling absolutely astonished.


	7. Chapter 7

In the silence that followed Rachel's speech, Blaine waited in his hiding spot behind the wall he had jumped over in his panic. He was lay face down in the dirt, terrified to even breathe too loudly and give himself away. He wasn't sure if the girl had left or if Kurt himself was even still there but when he heard a familiar loud sob, he poked his head over the wall and saw Kurt stood all alone.

He leapt up and ran over to him, taking him in his arms as the younger boy looked on the verge of collapse. Kurt turned into his chest and cried, his tears were soaking into Blaine's shirt but neither boy seemed to care. Blaine tried to soothe him by rubbing his hands up and down his back and whispering words of comfort into his hair. He couldn't believe what he had heard the young girl say to her brother. The memory that he had left Kurt sobbing on the kitchen floor pulled at his heart and his stomach had tightened in shame for how much of a coward he had been. He had never thought anyone would dare to say anything about it, though.

And to threaten to tell Kurt's mother was a low blow. Blaine was absolutely sure that he wanted nothing to do with Rachel as a wife, or anything, now. She was the rudest, immature, ambitious, overly self-serving person he had ever laid eyes on. Why couldn't it be Kurt that he was destined to marry? It just wasn't fair that he couldn't be with the person he loved because society deemed it so. It had been the same with Jeremiah, and he had ended up losing him forever. He was not going to let the same thing happen with Kurt.

"Let's leave."

Kurt looked up at him, teary eyes filled with confusion. "What?"

"We could go. Together. Get on a boat somewhere and go overseas. My cousin told me all about what it's like where he lives. It sounds amazing Kurt, people are so much more open over there. We could change our names and just be together, we…"

"Blaine!"

Kurt pulled back from his embrace and looked at him questioningly. "We can't just run away. Are you insane? What about our families? Our friends?"

Blaine scoffed. " _Family._ My father wouldn't miss me, in fact he would probably love to ship me off himself but my mother would never let him. I am the biggest disappointment he has ever had."

"But wouldn't you miss your mother? And what about your future? You are their only son, Blaine. You have to carry on your family name, you can't just up and leave them in the lurch."

"I can. And I would. With you."

"And what about my family, Blaine?"

"Are you telling me you would miss that vile sister of yours?"

"No," he looked down sadly. "Not after tonight. But I would miss my parents terribly. And Abella and Mercedes. These are people I have known my whole life, Blaine. I can't just abandon them."

"But Kurt…"

"And besides, we have only known each other for just under two weeks, Blaine. As much as I care for you, I couldn't leave my whole family behind for you. I am sorry"

Blaine put more distance between himself and the boy before him. He shook his head from side to side, angry tears beginning to pool in his eyes. He started walking backwards and Kurt reached out for him.

"Well… _I_ am going," he said, before turning around and breaking into a sprint back towards the house. He could hear Kurt shouting for him to wait but he didn't look back, just kept on going through the front door and up the stairs towards his room.

He grabbed a suitcase from above his wardrobe before throwing the doors open and piling his clothes in, not even bothering to fold them properly. He only grabbed simple things like underwear, shirts and trousers choosing to forgo the expensive jackets and accessories. He wouldn't need them where he was going. He threw in a few of his cufflinks and his pocket watch which was inlaid with gold, hoping he could sell them for cash should he ever get desperate.

He didn't hear when frantic footsteps approached his bedroom as he was in too much of a frenzy himself. Someone grabbed onto his arm and tried to pull him around but he shook them off, not wanting to be slowed down. It was already almost one a.m. and he didn't have time if he wanted to get as far away as possible before everyone else woke up and found him missing.

"Blaine. Please," a voice cried behind him. He knew it was Kurt but he didn't want to give the boy a chance to try and change his mind. He ignored him and finished packing, slamming the suit case shut and clicking the locks into place. He dragged it off the bed and to the floor which resulted in a heavy banging sound. He cursed and waited until he was sure he hadn't disturbed his parents in the room opposite.

"Please don't do this. We can think of another way. Please." The tears in Kurt's voice had gotten stronger and the boy sounded absolutely terrified. "I don't know what I am supposed to tell your family if you go. Please don't make me lie to them, Blaine."

"I gave you the chance to come with me, Kurt. You could have said yes. You still can."

Kurt ran forward and grabbed Blaine's hands, cradling them in his own. "Blaine, please re-think this. I can talk to my father. I can tell him you do not want to marry Rachel. I am sure he will understand, he is a very good man…"

"It's not _your_ father I am worried about, Kurt. Do you not see? I cannot go on like this! Every day I feel stifled by him. The _great_ Lord Anderson. Everything I do pales in comparison to him. I do every little thing he orders me to and yet, still, he wastes no opportunity to tell me what a failure I am. I have had enough."

Kurt, unsure of what else he could possibly do to change the man's mind, threw himself at Blaine and locked his arms behind his neck as he kissed him. Blaine's hands fell to his waist and he gripped him tight, loving how big his hands were compared to the boy's slight figure. Their tongues battled for dominance as Blaine pushed him backwards so that he was lying down on the bed. Blaine, who was feeling incredibly heated and angry still, moved his hands to rest on Kurt's behind and squeezed hard. Kurt let out a squeak which was very much like the one's he had made in Blaine's fantasies of them together in the lake. Blaine groaned at finally hearing it in reality.

Kurt looked up at him, his usual pink rosy lips flushed red from their kissing. When Blaine pressed their lips together again Kurt whispered against his mouth, "Stay here with me, Blaine. Please don't go. We will work this out, you'll see. He won't find out about us, I promise."

Blaine didn't answer. He moved down to kiss Kurt's neck, latching on to one spot in particular and sucking hard. Kurt's eyes rolled back into his head at the feeling and he sighed out Blaine's name.

They continued whispering together for a while, but from where she was perched behind the slightly open door, Rachel couldn't make out what was being said.

* * *

The next morning, Kurt woke up in his own bed. He had been tempted to spend the night with Blaine, for obvious reasons, but also to make sure he didn't decide to leave again. Blaine had assured him he was not going anywhere, even getting Kurt to help him unpack his suitcase and put all of his things back. Blaine knew he had overreacted a tad but he had felt caught between a rock, being Kurt's awful sister, and a hard place, being his father. He didn't want to leave his mother behind and start anew but he was at a loss about what to do next. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was most definitely not going to marry Rachel Hummel. Never in a million years would he put himself through a life with that insufferable girl. He always felt a little harsh being so vocal about his dislike for the girl in front of Kurt, she was his sister after all, but he just couldn't find a single redeemable quality about her. And now she really had taken it too far, threatening to expose them and ruin all of their lives for good.

Kurt wandered down the hallway towards Blaine's door, knocking quietly and praying that there would be an answer. He breathed a sigh of relief when Blaine answered and let him in. He hugged the smaller man tightly, not wanting to ever let him go.

"I am so glad you decided to stay," he whispered into Blaine's shoulder.

"You know I only stayed for you, right?"

"I know. And I am very grateful."

They went down to breakfast together, Kurt taking the lead. As they sat down at the table, Rachel cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Good morning Blaine," she addressed him loudly, "how did you sleep?"

His eyebrows raised at the question and he looked at Kurt before he answered. "Fine, thank you Rachel. How about you?"

"Oh, I slept just wonderfully _._ It is amazing what a good night's sleep can do to clear one's mind. I felt quite befuddled before bed last night, but now I can see _everything_ quite clearly."

Blaine nodded his head at her cryptic answer, unsure of how to proceed.

"And you, Kurt?" she asked, and by now everyone at the table was listening to their conversation. Rachel was so loud they couldn't have avoided it if they'd tried.

"I… uh, slept fine, thank you."

Her face suddenly contorted into a look of horror and her hands raised to her mouth. Kurt, however, had known her for long enough to know very well that she was only acting. He dreaded whatever was going to come out of her mouth next.

"Kurt! You are hurt!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger towards his neck.

Blaine looked over to Kurt in surprise, wondering what Rachel could mean before noticing the dark purple bruise on the side of his neck which had been left by his eager lips the night before. His heart leapt into his throat and he looked at his father to see if he too had seen it yet. His father's face was confused but not angry so he took that as a sign that all was still okay for now.

Thinking on his feet he said, "Oh, Kurt. You're bleeding! Did you catch yourself when shaving? Here." He threw him a napkin which the confused boy took and pressed against his neck at Blaine's insistence. He didn't have any idea what was going on but he knew Blaine had probably just saved the day, if Rachel's sour face was any clue. He excused himself from the table and ran all the way upstairs to his bedroom. He finally moved the napkin away from his neck and inspected the damage, knowing full well he hadn't had to shave that morning – or ever.

On the side of his neck, edging more towards the back which explained why he hadn't seen it this morning, was a bruise the size of Blaine's mouth which bloomed in different shades of red and purple. He stared at it in awe, pressing his fingers down on it and cringing at the slight ache. He felt himself stiffen in his trousers as he remembered how Blaine had given it to him.

He turned to his wardrobe to find a cravat. Fixing it around his neck, he made sure the bruise was covered before returning to the dining room.

* * *

Rachel was sat alone in the library pretending to read her book. She didn't know who she hated more: Kurt for betraying her like this, or Blaine for using her brother to hurt her. She was a girl who very much did not like to share her things and she couldn't believe she was losing her future husband to _another man!_ When she had seen the two of them kissing she had felt so sick, she had almost emptied her stomach out onto the floor outside Blaine's bedroom. It was highly immoral and just plain wrong and she had quickly run to the prayer room and thrown herself to her knees to absolve herself of any part of it.

Seeing the bruise on Kurt's neck the following morning had seemed like the perfect opportunity to expose them and pretend like she had had no idea about the whole thing. But she had failed because of damn quick-thinking Blaine. Now she had seen the two of them together, she didn't feel like she could just come out and say it to anyone, it felt like something that should never be spoken aloud. It was very different just hearing rumours and then seeing it for real. She wanted them to be caught in the act and then she could play the part of the innocent, jilted fiancée.

"What on earth, Rachel! That stunt you pulled at breakfast was completely out of line. What do you think you are doing?" Kurt yelled, suddenly bursting into the room.

"I saw you two! Last night in Blaine's bedroom! I think we both know exactly what is going on here," she shouted back.

"You are delusional! I was not in Blaine's room last night. I was upstairs all night helping Mercedes with a stomach bug! The poor girl was throwing up from dusk to dawn and being a good friend, I could not leave her alone!"

Rachel blanched. "How can you stand in front of me and tell all of these blatant lies?"

"I am not lying, Rachel. In fact, Mercedes is speaking to mother right now, letting her know what a wonderful help I was to her. Are you really willing to try and contradict her with these ridiculous stories of yours? Me and your future husband? Really? Who do you think she's going to believe?" He smirked.

She could feel her anger rising but she had no response. Her mouth gaped like a fish as she struggled to compose herself, knowing full well that Kurt – having been the well-behaved favourite child for so long now – would most definitely be listened to over her and her usually wild and outlandish tales.

"If you try something like that again, Blaine is going straight to our father and telling him you tried to seduce and climb into bed with him before marriage."

"NO! I would never!" Rachel screamed, horrified at the thought of her parents hearing she had done such a shameful thing. And what reason would they have not to believe Blaine? She had done some rather silly things in the past and that would just be the cherry on the cake. Her heart pounding, she begged Kurt not to, promising she would keep her mouth closed.

"I should hope that you will," he said before flouncing out of the room with a laugh.


	8. Chapter 8

**One week later…**

In the middle of their third week as guests at Lanhydrock house, Lady Anderson decided she wanted everyone to take a trip into the nearest town. They had been cooped up in the house for almost a month, only leaving for occasional walks in the surrounding gardens and sometimes as far as the woodland beyond. She wanted to see what the little town had to offer and also visit the church which she had been neglecting during her stay.

They all gathered in three separate carriages and made their way, Lord and Lady Anderson in one, Burt and Elizabeth Hummel in another and the children in the third much to Rachel's dismay. The entire trip was spent in silence as she had not spoken to her brother or Blaine privately since the incident the week prior. She hadn't mentioned anything to either of their parents as promised but just the thought of what the two of them got up to behind closed doors made her ill. She desperately longed for the moment they were caught.

Upon arrival in the town, the adults took off towards the church leaving the three of them unsure of where to go first. Blaine had assured his mother he had kept up with his prayers back at the house and didn't need to visit the church. He wanted to use this first day of freedom to look for some new books and writing material. She had reluctantly given in.

"Where is the book shop?" he asked, and Kurt gladly showed him the way with a sour Rachel following in their stead.

He perused the shelves looking for something he had not yet read which was a difficult task. He turned when he heard his name mentioned behind him and saw that Rachel was talking with the shop owner. He was asking her who her friends were and she was filling him in on her engagement to Blaine with much less enthusiasm than had been seen in previous weeks. Blaine joined her, placing his arm around her waist and gushing about how happy he was to be marrying her. He had to keep up appearances and didn't want to be seen seemingly ignoring his future bride, lest it get back to his father.

Kurt wandered out of the shop, tired of hearing about Rachel and Blaine. As much as he knew it was vital that Blaine pretend to be enamoured with Rachel to keep his father off their backs, Blaine had been driving him crazy with being so attentive to the girl over the last week. There was such a thing as _overdoing_ it, in his opinion. Or maybe he was just jealous that it could never be him Blaine was hanging onto in public and confessing his love for to strangers. He walked to the chemist, planning to buy some more of his favourite soap and was greeted with Lord Anderson inside. He couldn't very well back out and pretend he wasn't there as everyone had turned to look at him enter when the bell rang above the door.

"Kurt, come here," Lord Anderson said, beckoning the boy over. He was standing at a display of a brand-new razor blades and shaving cream. "Might need another one of these, huh?"

"Oh no My Lord, I still have my very first razor waiting at home – not had to use it yet."

The Lord's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Hadn't Kurt cut himself on his razor last week resulting in him bleeding at the table? He had figured it was because his blade had become too blunt for use and had therefore cut into his neck. Blaine had had trouble grasping the concept of shaving back when he had been Kurt's age and had often cut himself by not exchanging the blades as soon as they had become dull.

He looked at Kurt closely before deciding to let it go. Maybe he had been mistaken. He watched as the boy paid for his own goods before following him out of the door.

* * *

It was mid-August; the summer was almost drawing to a close and everyone knew they only had so much time left with the sun. Two days after their trip to the town, it was a particularly warm day and Blaine suggested to Kurt that they go on a picnic in the woods surrounding his home. There were a few rather beautiful clearings they had found on previous walks there and he thought some alone time together would be perfect.

They both went into the kitchens with a basket and filled it with different treats. Kurt grabbed some leftover meat from their dinner the night before and some bread so that they could have sandwiches, whereas Blaine focused on cutting them each a slice of cake and choosing between several different bottles of wine. Lanhydrock was well stocked and he ended up picking a delicious looking red as well as two glasses, sure that no one would notice it was missing.

They covered the basket with a blanket and snuck out of the back door, giggling as they kept to the back of the house on their way to the trees. A few members of the household staff averted their eyes when they saw them coming and Blaine wondered briefly which of them had been the one to gossip about him and Kurt within earshot of Rachel.

Once they had chosen a spot, Kurt lay the blanket down and sat on it. He looked at the light filtering down through the trees and sighed in contentment. It was even hot in the shade and so he removed his shoes and socks and rolled his trouser legs up, planning on definitely paddling in the lake on their way back to the house later. Blaine popped the cork from the wine bottle and poured them both a glass. They clinked them together before each taking a sip.

"I wish we could stay here forever," Blaine murmured.

Kurt hummed in agreement. "I would give anything to not have to face Rachel again. Did you see her at dinner last night?"

Blaine nodded, remembering how the girl had spent the entire meal sending deathly glares at Kurt from across the table. Blaine was surprised she had actually managed to make it so long without saying anything to anyone about their relationship. She wasn't exactly the definition of subtle. She must have really been terrified of them saying anything to ruin her reputation.

They shared the food between them, Blaine spending more time feeding Kurt than actually eating anything himself. He would make the most sinful moans at each morsel, making sure to wrap his lips around Blaine's fingers as he took the food. Blaine was getting uncomfortably hard watching him and had to readjust himself a few times in order to not let it show. They still had not seen each other naked or done anything beyond what had gone on in the piano room and gardens. Kurt had made it clear he wasn't ready for anything more yet and Blaine would never have forced him into anything. But boy, did Kurt sucking on his fingers make him aroused.

The wine was polished off fairly quickly and to Blaine's amusement, Kurt was getting quite drunk. The boy kept giggling and even hiccupped loudly before covering his mouth in embarrassment. It was quite clear that he had not had alcohol much before as it had taken an effect on him very easily. He turned to Blaine with a big smile on his face before climbing into his lap, almost falling back before steadying himself using Blaine's shoulders.

"I think…" he said, before looking up at the sky in wonder.

"You think…" Blaine said, laughing at the suddenly distracted boy.

"Oh, sorry," he giggled again. "I think you should kiss me."

"Oh, do you?" Blaine said and he leaned in to press their lips together lightly. Kurt shook his head and pulled back.

"No! Not like that," he said.

"Well then, what do you want?"

Kurt lifted his head up and extended his neck out to Blaine, clearly meaning he should kiss him there. Blaine chuckled and pressed a few soft kisses to the boy's neck. Once again, Kurt shook his head and pulled back. His nose was scrunched in annoyance and he looked at Blaine accusingly.

"You know what I mean, Bl-Blaine. I want another one of those- those bruises you gave me. It's almost gone now," he pouted and Blaine laughed at the way he was slurring his words.

"Are you sure? We almost were exposed because of that little thing," Blaine reminded him and Kurt thought for a second, eyebrows pulled together in what Blaine thought was the cutest facial expression he had ever seen Kurt make.

Suddenly, he removed his arms from Blaine's shoulders and moved them to the top button of his own shirt. He pulled it through the hole and then proceeded with the next three until his shirt was hanging open and revealing his chest.

"Then do it here instead," he said. "Where they can't see it."

Blaine looked at him, uncertain. "Are you sure?"

Kurt looked at him before reaching his hand down between them and running it once over Blaine's clothed erection. Blaine's eyes widened in shock and he almost threw Kurt off him but the boy was clinging on hard with his thighs and could not be moved.

"Kurt, you are drunk."

"No, I am fine, please Blaine. Kiss me, right here." He tapped the juncture between his neck and shoulders which was now fully exposed. "Or maybe here." He ran his fingers across his collarbone, pushing his shirt down at the same time. Blaine followed with his eyes, transfixed. "Or even here." He ran them over his left nipple and Blaine saw it harden under his touch. He stared at it until Kurt brought his face back up to his and kissed him.

Blaine was so tempted to do as Kurt had asked and he definitely thought that option three was the best. But he did not want Kurt to regret any of this once he had sobered up. He chose to go with his conscience rather than his cock and gently pushed Kurt backwards. "No, Kurt."

"But…"

"If you still want to once you are sober then I will gladly oblige. But I am not doing it like this."

Kurt looked disappointed but didn't argue with Blaine. He slowly slid out of his lap and yanked a bread roll out of the basket. He picked at it while refusing to look Blaine in the eyes stubbornly. "Spoilsport."

"You will thank me when you are feeling better."

"I _feel_ just fine _._ In fact, I feel better than fine," Kurt said, getting up onto his feet but wobbling in his attempts. He stood with his back to the still seated Blaine, looking out into the trees with his arms crossed. And suddenly he was running.

"Can't catch me!" he shouted back at Blaine as he barrelled through the woods. He heard when Blaine got up and began to chase him, his heart picking up in anticipation. He felt like prey being hunted and he couldn't stop laughing as his bare feet pounded the ground. Sooner than he had expected he felt a pair of arms grab him from behind and his breath caught in his throat as he was lifted up and spun around. Blaine wrestled him to the ground so that he was lay underneath the other man with his arms pinned beside his head.

"Got you," Blaine said breathlessly.

"How did you get catch up to me so fast?" Kurt asked.

"Word of advice: don't try to outrun someone sober when you're drunk. You ran in a complete circle, look." And true enough they were right back where they had started, only around twenty feet away from the picnic blanket.

"Oh," Kurt giggled. And then his face grew suddenly serious. "Do you think I am boring?"

Blaine looked incredulous. "How could I think that? You are the single most interesting person I have ever met."

Kurt's face turned red and he avoided Blaine's gaze as much as he could manage from beneath him. "I mean… sexually. I know I haven't exactly granted you permission to… go below the belt yet."

"Yes… but that is what alone time in my room is for." Kurt was positively beetroot at this point and he pulled himself up from where he was pinned down. "Oh please, Kurt. Do not try to tell me you do not touch yourself like that and think of me."

Kurt was horrified that the conversation had taken this turn and he placed his hands over his ears. "La-la-la."

Blaine laughed and pulled his hands away. "Kurt!"

"I may have… once or twice," he admitted.

"Oh yes, when was the first time?" Blaine asked. Kurt mumbled his answer and looked to the side away from Blaine's gaze. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that, Kurt," he said teasingly.

"The first night you were here!" He hiccupped again. "You spent the whole of dinner staring a-at me and I felt really weird but then I could not sleep and I- I played the piano for a while which you heard but I still could not sleep when I got back to my r-room so…" Blaine kissed him to stop his rambling.

"The first night? Really?"

"Why do you think I was so h-horrified when you said you had heard me and wanted to compli-mement me?" He frowned as he struggled over the word. "I thought you had heard!" Blaine broke into hysterical giggles and Kurt smacked him on the chest. "Do not laugh at me!"

"Oh, I'm not laughing at you," he said, but another chuckle bubbled forth which he couldn't hide.

"Well, when did you first," another hiccup, "first do it?"

"After the lake. When I saw you stripped down like that it was all I could think about. And then we had almost kissed too."

"Oh," Kurt said, looking back on every memory he had of that first week with Blaine differently now. He hadn't known he had been affecting the other man that much at the time, but he should have really given that he had been feeling the exact same way in return. "Do you ever just have the urge to r-rip off one another's clothes and _have at it?_ " Kurt wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Every minute I am with you," Blaine answered seriously. "But honestly, I do not mind, Kurt. We can wait until you are ready. I have all the time in the world."

Neither wanted to comment on the fact that the Anderson's were only staying at Lanhydrock for another two months before returning home with Rachel in tow and a wedding on the horizon. They would stay in their blissful bubble a while longer, not worrying about the future until summer was well and truly over.


	9. Chapter 9

Blaine panted hard as he brought himself closer and closer to the edge. His hand movements were getting jerkier and more erratic as he struggled to focus on what he was doing. The closer he got he couldn't even think straight, the only thing on his mind was the thought that over in his own room Kurt could be doing the same thing right now. Kurt had admitted that he had touched himself and thought of Blaine multiple times before and the thought of him being so overcome for Blaine like that made Blaine's cock throb painfully. He thought back to the other boy's moans of pleasure as they had rubbed against each other in the piano room that first time. He imagined him making them now, their hands mimicking each other just room's apart.

Blaine longed to be doing this to Kurt right now instead of himself. He didn't see why they had to do this separately if they were both craving the same release so close to one another anyway. It would only be sensible to help one another out. But the thought of Kurt actually touching his cock was enough for Blaine and he came hard, shooting all over his chest. He breathed hard as he came down, grabbing his rag that he had on standby and cleaning himself up. When he thought he had it all, he threw the rag to the back of his drawer again for safekeeping.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

His head whipped around to the door. He jumped off his bed and grabbed his nearby robe, stuffing his arms in the sleeves and tying it around his waist. He opened the door slightly and peeked his head around but sighed when he realised it was only his mother.

"Um… hello," he said, unsure as to why she was at his door so late.

"May I speak with you?" she asked.

"Of course, come in."

Blaine opened the door wider and she stepped inside, eyeing the bed critically before choosing to sit at the vanity. She looked at him closely and the silence that followed felt like the longest Blaine had ever felt in his life. He felt under scrutiny and shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

Just before Blaine could explode his mother broke the awkward tension. But her opening sentence could not have been worse.

"Your father is very upset with you, Blaine. He seems to think you are hiding something from us."

Blaine made to respond but she held a single finger up to hush him. He closed his mouth and waited.

"You know I do not like to listen to his silly conspiracies. He gets himself so worked up over nonsense. You are quite like him in that way." She stood up and walked over to him, taking his hands into hers. "But I myself cannot keep quiet anymore. Just say the word, Blaine, and I will fix it. I can see it in your eyes."

Blaine could feel himself getting choked up at her words. His mother had always had an ability to see right through him and once again she had guessed what was going on. And, unlike his father, she had _always_ supported him through everything. Even with everything that had happened with Jeremiah, his mother had never stopped loving him, had never treated him any differently, she had even sat and held him as he had sobbed during many a night afterwards.

"I love him, mother. I really do," he confessed tearfully.

Blaine realised his mistake as soon as he saw his mother's face falter in confusion.

"Who?" she asked. "Your father?"

He felt his stomach drop as he realised she hadn't a clue who he was referring to. "Wait… Mama, what do you mean you will 'fix it'?"

"You and Rachel. I can see you do not love her. I was going to speak to your father and call the whole thing off. We could go home by the end of the week if you wish."

Blaine felt a great surge of gratitude and love for the woman in front of him before it was quickly replaced by dread. He could come out and say he did not want to marry Rachel and face no repercussions, from his mother at least, but it would mean leaving Lanhydrock and Kurt behind immediately. His mind was at war with itself trying to decide what was best to do. As his mother patiently waited for an answer, the tears began streaming down his face and his body shook with broken sobs. She pulled him into a tight embrace and let him cry, hating to see her only baby so upset.

"Mama… It's so hard. Feeling this way. Knowing that if you knew, you might hate me."

"I could never hate you, Blaine. Never." She stroked the back of his hair with her hand to soothe him. When he was little he had always loved having his hair played with. "I will speak to him Blaine. We will put a stop to this, I promise. Another girl will come along one day and she will be worthy of your heart, and that will be a very happy day for me. To see you finally happy."

"Mama…" he sobbed. "There is no other girl out there."

"Of course there is, Blaine. Do not be silly." She moved his hair off his forehead and clucked her tongue at him.

"No! There is not! I do not want a girl, Mama! I do not want a wife! Ever! I want Kurt!" His voice had gotten louder and louder until he was shouting in her face. She stood there completely still until he had finished, used to her husband and son and their constant shouting matches with her stuck in the middle.

"Ah," she said finally. "I see your father was right to believe you had a secret. Well, do you want me to call off this engagement or not?"

"Mama, did you hear what I said?" Blaine looked at her incredulously, unable to believe she was taking the news he was in love with another man so calmly.

"Yes, and did you hear me? I asked you a question."

"But… you are not angry?"

She took a long, slow breath before speaking. "I cared for Jeremiah like he was a second son that God, in his grace, never gave to me. He was a wonderful boy, always so quick to help others and he did an incredible job looking after you. And your father sent him away from all of us. I have never quite been able to forgive him for that."

"Mama…"

"I saw him, you know. Before he went abroad. He came to me and he begged my forgiveness for corrupting you. He tried to say it was all his fault, that you were not to blame."

"But I was, Mama. I loved him as much as he loved me."

"I knew that. And I told him as much. The poor boy loved you so much he was willing to receive all of the blame to save you. But I knew it was no one sided relationship. All I ever heard from you was 'Jeremiah this' and 'Jeremiah that'. It was quite clear you were smitten." Blaine couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And now, Kurt."

He looked down and blushed deeply. "Now Kurt."

"Well, I had always assumed there would come another." She chuckled and took hold of his face with her right hand, squeezing his cheeks and making him pout his lips. "You always have been very handsome, Blaine. I am surprised this did not happen sooner. I cannot say I am completely thrilled with the idea, after all you do need to marry and have sons. But I was forced into a marriage against my will and I know exactly how it feels, and I just cannot wish the same thing upon my only son." She let him go and walked away towards the door. "I have to speak with your father."

"You are not going to tell him, are you?" Blaine's heart quickened in fear.

"Of course not! What do you take me for? Do not worry, Blaine. We will not be leaving here any time soon. I will not cruelly pull you away from someone you love again."

* * *

After his talk with his mother Blaine felt much more positive about everything. He had not expected that his mother would be so accepting of not only his sexual preference, but of Kurt as well. As religious as she was, he had always assumed she had been secretly mortified at his actions with Jeremiah. It turned out she was even more incredible than he had thought. Hearing about what Jeremiah had tried to do for him had made his heart throb for the other boy who was so lost to him now. He wasn't in love with him anymore, in fact his conversation with his mother had opened his eyes to the fact he was very much in love with Kurt, but he would always hold a special place in his heart as his first love.

He bounded over to Kurt's piano room, he couldn't hear the sweet music playing just yet but he had been told to be there for eleven. He waited on the armchair until Kurt entered, smiling at him. They immediately embraced each other before falling into a long and slow kiss. Blaine felt himself melt at the feeling of Kurt's lips against his own. He loved that Kurt was just that little bit taller than him and so he had to tilt his head upwards to meet him.

"I have some news," Blaine announced once they pulled away from each other.

"Do tell."

Blaine hesitated before deciding to just come out and say it. "My mother knows about us."

Kurt's eyes flew open wide and he took in a rather loud gasp of air. His hands raised to cover his mouth and he looked positively horrified. "She… She what?"

"She knows. And she is fine with it, Kurt. Really, really fine." Blaine was smiling wide and trying to show Kurt that everything was still okay but Kurt was not having it.

"Are you crazy? Did you just come out and tell her? We did not discuss this first! I cannot have this get back to my family! And what about your father?"

"My father does not know and it is going to stay that way. Please, we can trust my mother, I promise."

"How is she okay with this? What about your future, your title?"

"I could not believe it either, Kurt, but she has really come to accept that this is how I feel. I told her that I love you and do not wish to be with your sister."

Kurt felt like he had whiplash with how quickly his head snapped back at those words. "You what?"

Blaine gazed up at him with nothing but love in his hazel eyes. "I… I love you, Kurt. I know it might seem sudden but…"

"I love you too!" Kurt yelled and threw his arms around Blaine's neck. "I thought I was just being a silly teenager and feeling these things too quickly but to hear you say it first…" He was grinning from ear to ear.

"I know it has only been just over three weeks since we met but I felt an immediate connection with you that I have not felt in a long time. You make me feel like I can be open, I can be exactly who I am inside and out. I live for our nightly meet ups, it is pure torture going through the day knowing there are still hours to go until I can have you in my arms again."

Kurt's eyes were misting at Blaine's confession. He had never thought he would find someone who would say those kinds of things to him. He had assumed he would enter into a loveless marriage with a woman he cared nothing for. Blaine was right - it was sudden. It was a crazy, messed up, tidal wave of emotions and hurdles every minute he was with Blaine, and even the ones without. But he loved him too despite everything that stood in their way. He had done since the very start, when he and Blaine would stare at each other over their meals and his stomach would twist unfamiliarly.

Blaine placed his hands on Kurt's waist and lifted him with surprising ease onto the top of the closed piano. He was now several inches below Kurt and he stood on his very tip toes to place a kiss on his lips. They both giggled before Kurt wrapped his legs around Blaine's torso to hold him in place. With an excited glint in his eyes, Blaine lifted him up. It was exactly as he had imagined it would be thanks to Kurt's strong riders' legs holding on around his waist. He carried him over to a chaise lounge and lay him down on it before climbing on top of him.

Kurt kept his legs wrapped around Blaine so when the older man lay on him their erections pressed together deliciously. They moaned into each other's mouths and Kurt's hands found their way into Blaine's hair to tug at the curls like he loved. He started grinding himself down into Kurt until the younger boy placed a hand against his chest.

"Stop. I want to try something," he whispered and Blaine looked at him momentarily before starting to pull off. "No! Stay where you are."

Blaine obliged and Kurt reached one of his hands down until he was cupping Blaine through his night trousers. Blaine let out a startled gasp and looked at Kurt's face, which was sure. Kurt started moving his hand over the concealed member, dragging it from bottom to top gently and then gripping it through the clothes. The solid weight in his hands felt good and he started to issue a squeeze with every drag until Blaine was panting into his neck. He could tell that Blaine was not wearing any underwear and he quickly reached inside his trousers and wrapped his hand firmly around the base of his cock.

He wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do next but he figured it couldn't be too different to what he would normally do to himself. He tried moving his hand but was restricted by the waistband of Blaine's trousers. He pulled them down with a frustrated huff and watched as Blaine's cock sprang free. At his first sight of another man's cock he felt heat pooling in his groin and his mouth watered. But, something was different.

"Blaine… you have no…"

"Uh, no."

Kurt being so used to seeing his own penis covered by its foreskin had not expected that Blaine would in fact be cut. He looked at it carefully, his finger tracing the underside of the head where it should have been connected. Blaine jerked forward involuntarily and precum dribbled out and onto Kurt's finger. Kurt stared fascinated at the wet substance on his finger and wrapped his hand fully around Blaine's shaft. He started to move his hand up and down, finding the whole thing very peculiar with no foreskin to move.

Blaine hissed and Kurt looked at him in shock. "It's too dry," Blaine said, and then his mouth dropped open when Kurt licked his hand and wrapped it around the base.

He pumped up and down again and this time Blaine's head fell down onto his shoulder with a groan. Kurt turned his head to the side and kissed Blaine's cheek until Blaine understood what he wanted and lifted his head to kiss him. Their tongues explored each other's mouths eagerly as Kurt continued with his hand movements.

Kurt tried to remember what he really enjoyed when he masturbated. He particularly liked it when he would twist his hand towards the top so he tried it and Blaine gave a high-pitched whine which he took as a good sign. He twisted his wrist with every upward pull and made sure to run his thumb across the back of the head, spreading the precum around and making the whole thing slicker.

He could tell that Blaine was struggling to hold himself up above him and so he quickly sat up so they were sitting adjacently. He locked eyes with Blaine as he pumped faster and when he looked down at Blaine's cock wrapped up in his hand and bit his bottom lip, Blaine's breathing became faster and his hands frantically grabbed at the chair. His chest started heaving as he came hard, shooting up onto himself. His head fell back and he groaned loudly and closed his eyes as he came down from his high.

Kurt, on the other hand, had his eyes wide open and he looked at the cum on his hand in wonder. He lifted his hand up and inspected it before blushing furiously when he caught Blaine watching him. He wiped it off on his shirt, knowing he would be needing to change again before bed. Luckily, it would just pass as his own if the maids saw it.


	10. Chapter 10

"So how are things with you, Blaine?" Lord Anderson asked nonchalantly. He was making a big show of pretending the tension between them was non-existent, stirring his tea slowly and not looking Blaine in the eyes.

"Fine, Father," Blaine curtly answered. His father never usually cared enough to ask him how he was feeling so he knew the man had some hidden motive. They both took sips of their tea and there was an awkward silence as they each placed their cups back down until Blaine cleared his throat.

"How is Rachel?" his father asked.

"Why don't you tell me father, after all, didn't you take a walk with her earlier today?" Blaine replied.

Lord Anderson frowned at the abruptness with which his son had addressed him. When he had asked him to join him for this meeting he had expected to have the upper hand and catch Blaine off guard, but it seemed Blaine had come with his own weapons at the ready.

"I did. We discussed you at great length, actually. She told me you have been nothing but a gentleman to her so far."

"Ah, I do so love when you discuss me with other people behind my back, father."

"I had to be sure you were on the right path. From the sounds of things, Rachel is still very happy with this engagement. But there is still one thing which troubles me."

"And what is that?" Blaine asked, trying not to let his worry show through his bravado.

"You do not seem very affectionate with her. I never see the two of you with less than a foot of space between you. It is very strange – for two young people supposedly so in love."

Blaine could see his father's brain turning, trying to find the right thing to say to trip Blaine up and get him to confess to something bad. He didn't know what his father knew and he trusted wholeheartedly that his mother had not told him anything but that didn't mean he wasn't still being ruled by his suspicions. His very accurate suspicions.

"We do not like public affection, some things are better left private."

"Hmm…" his father murmured, nodding his head and leaning back in his chair. "Have you kissed her?"

The question caught Blaine off guard and he choked on his sip of tea. He coughed and spluttered for a while until he could compose himself enough to look at his father properly. "What kind of question is that?"

"A rather simple one. Have you kissed her?"

Blaine could only stare in silence. He knew the longer he waited the more his father's doubt would grow but he could not seem to get any words out. _Just say yes, Blaine! Say yes!_

"I… We…"

"There is no need for this, Blaine. I already know the answer. I asked Rachel the same question and after she finished floundering just like you she spun an elaborate story about being under the stars for the most romantic first kiss anyone has ever had. Bleh. I know a liar when I see one, I was trained well long ago by my very own son keeping his sordid love affair with another man secret from me for months."

Lord Anderson pushed himself up so that he was standing above Blaine in his chair. He looked down at his only son with pity before declaring, "I have moved the wedding up. We will be having it here, instead of when we get home. The invitations are being written as we speak and they will be sent off tomorrow. One month today, Blaine. September 30th."

* * *

Lady Anderson was contemplating what she was going to say to her husband. She paced back and forth in their bedroom, waiting for him to return from his meeting with their son. She knew he would not be in a good mood when he returned and so she had to think of the best way to go about things. She sat down to calm her racing heart and placed her hand over her chest. The door opened with a bang and she looked up startled. As predicted, her husband was red in the face and visibly shaking.

"Darling…"

"I do not want to hear it. He has been told he has one month until he will marry her. No discussion."

Lady Anderson's lips twisted as she tried to hold her tongue. "Perhaps we should not force them like this, it is more likely to end badly if we do," she said, feeling her husband's glare from where she was looking down at her hands.

"If I do not marry them now, he will find some way of weaselling himself out of it. Just like every other time we have tried to find him a wife. He is twenty-five for god sake! This is the closest he has ever come."

Lady Anderson flinched at his language but didn't comment. "Is this Rachel girl really who you want as a part of this family?"

"I would take anyone if it meant he could start churning out heirs. Do you realise how close my younger brother is to taking all of this away from us? He already has four sons and nine grandsons. We have nothing!"

Lady Anderson flinched again feeling like the blame was being placed upon her shoulders for not being able to have any more children after Blaine. She steeled her nerve and looked at him. "I do not think she is right for him. She is ambitious and uncouth. She acts like she loves him but I know she is only after his money and titles for herself."

"What maid is not ambitious and looking to marry a wealthy man? She is not one in a million! You did not exactly marry for love!"

She felt like she had been slapped at the reminder of her arranged marriage to the man before her. Back when it had first been arranged, she had protested against it with everything she had but it had been set in stone by their parents. She had been told her entire future was to be dedicated to carrying on the Anderson family line and being a dutiful wife to her husband and mother to her many, many children. But it had not worked out that way once she had been told she could no longer conceive after Blaine's difficult birth. There was no way she was ever going to watch her only child go through a loveless marriage and a miserable life to boot. She had been onboard with this whole arrangement at first, she had been excited to finally find someone Blaine might actually like after all of his previous failed attempts at courting and the whole fiasco with Jeremiah. But she now realised exactly what it was that he wanted, exactly what would make him happy. Kurt. How could she tell her husband that?

"Then if all women are the same, maybe we should call this engagement off and let him at least find one himself who he can actually stand. Even if it takes time. Lord knows he will have a much easier life than either of us."

Lord Anderson glared at his wife. He brought his hands together and closed his eyes in an effort to calm himself but he could feel he was too wound up to try. He walked over to the door and placed his hand on the handle before turning back and saying one word to her.

"No."

* * *

Mercedes had been tasked with looking after Rachel for the day, an arduous task if there ever was one. Abella had taken to bed with a summer cold and she had entrusted Mercedes with making sure Rachel made it to her singing lesson on time and to her afternoon tea with her mother and Lady Anderson.

Mercedes tried to block out the screeching of Rachel's singing voice as she helped her into her clothes for the day. She questioned mentally how the two siblings could be so unbelievably different to one another. Kurt was her very best friend and Rachel was, at best, an annoyance. She had to sit through several awful hours of Rachel practicing for her upcoming lesson, during which she wished she had some form of plug for her ears. She could feel a headache coming on and she prayed it would turn into the same cold Abella had so she too could just go to bed and hide.

When it came time for tea, she stood on the outskirts of the room dutifully waiting to be called upon. She tried her hardest to let her mind wander and not eavesdrop on the conversation between the women but when she heard Kurt's name mentioned she couldn't help but listen in.

"Well, I think Kurt is a wonderful young man," Lady Anderson said, smiling brightly at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth blushed softly, looking as beautiful as ever. "Thank you, My Lady."

"And he and Blaine seem to be getting along well," Lady Anderson continued. Mercedes did not miss the uncomfortable twitch in Rachel's eyes. "I do believe they are already as close as brothers."

"My Lady, Kurt speaks very highly of your son. Just the other day he was telling me how accomplished he is at the piano. They have been practicing together, I thought Kurt was excellent but I think maybe Blaine is teaching him a thing or two," Elizabeth said.

Mercedes had to hide her mouth with her hand to cover up her smirk. She pretended to cough to save herself, knowing full well Blaine _had_ taught Kurt a few things up in that piano room, but they weren't to do with music. Kurt had told her everything in vivid detail – sometimes too vivid.

"Do you think Kurt would enjoy some time in the city? There are many different avenues for a man with the talents he has, he does not have to stay here. He could learn from some of the most respected musicians out there. He could gain experience he never could have dreamed of," Lady Anderson said, daintily taking a bite of her finger sandwich while Elizabeth blinked in surprise at her offer.

"I think he would like that, My Lady. But he must stay here at Lanhydrock and prepare for his future. He will take over one day and he needs to be read-"

"Nonsense." Lady Anderson waved her hand. "I am sure your husband still has many years left in him. Kurt will not have to worry about such things for a long time. Let him explore a little bit before he is tied down to this place forever. Let him have a life."

Everyone in the room stared at her in shock. Rachel looked horrified at the thought of Kurt coming with them when they left for Blaine's home. Was she expected to marry Blaine and just sit aside knowing that he was sleeping with her brother? Did Lady Anderson even know what was going on between them?

"My Lady, I do not think Kurt would want to leave Lanhydrock. This is his home, he loves it here. He has always been much more connected to this place than I have," Rachel confessed, pleading with her eyes for Blaine's mother to reconsider.

"Oh psh, it would only be for a year. He can stay with us and utilise all of the opportunities we have at hand. We will return him to you next Christmas, he will be a new man."

Elizabeth did not want to lose both of her children at the same time, but she had to admit that Kurt would probably thrive in the city. He was such a hard-working and kind boy and she knew he would be so grateful for the chance to learn music from a more distinguished teacher than the one they had now. She had never worried about Kurt being alone, he had always been very independent and she always thought that one day things would just fall into place and he would fall in love and marry. Going to the city, however, he could meet someone sooner. He could even come back with a wife and their futures could all be secure at Lanhydrock thanks to his children.

"I will speak with him and see if it is something he would be open to," Elizabeth said.


	11. Chapter 11

The silence of the night outside the stable was deafening. Kurt had never been down here so late before, it had been just past eleven when he had snuck downstairs and outside. His sleeping pattern had been messed up lately with all the late-night meetings with Blaine and Blackbird had been very surprised to see him at such an abnormal hour. He had showed his affection greatly after being given a carrot, though.

Kurt stood and brushed the horse's mane, not really into the task at hand with his mind wandering elsewhere.

His mother had asked him that afternoon whether he wanted to go back to the city with Blaine's family after the wedding. For a whole year. His heart had jumped at the offer. The chance to be with Blaine for an entire year, away from his family and the small confines of their house where everyone knew his every move.

The chance to learn music from some of the greatest, the same ones who had taught Blaine everything he knew, the ones he had grown up admiring. He wondered what they would think of his pieces and felt flutters in his stomach at the thought of them praising him for the thing he had always worked hardest at. His mother loved his music but he was always worried she was just biased, he really wanted someone important in the music world to tell him he should continue to pursue it. Then he would be convinced without a doubt.

Although he wasn't fully on board with the idea because this plan meant Blaine and Rachel would be getting married first. In only twenty-eight days they would be husband and wife and he would be a- what was the male name for a mistress? He did not know. He felt shame deep within him at the idea but he knew it wasn't enough to keep him away. It wasn't fair that they couldn't just be together. What difference did it make that they were two men? They still felt love in the same way a man and a woman did, and they still felt heartbreak the same.

Thinking of his heart made it do a little flip as he remembered the words Blaine and spoken to him two nights ago. He had told him he loved him. His face broke out into a smile and he let his head drop bashfully even though there was no one there to see him. He didn't know what he had done to deserve the love of a man like that.

Blaine was impulsive, romantic, funny, sweet and kind. He held Kurt like he'd never held anything more precious in his life and he made him feel so safe and loved. He knew there was no one else for him out there, this was it. He felt like he had found his soulmate. When he thought about the few weeks they'd known each other he felt crazy. He never thought he could become so completely enamoured by someone in just a month but every time he caught a glimpse of Blaine his breath got stuck in his throat and his heart swelled.

So comfortable was he now, he had even had the courage to ask Blaine more about Jeremiah. He didn't feel jealousy, as he thought he might from observing the way Rachel acted around him. Instead he felt great sorrow as Blaine told him all about the shy young boy who had been his best friend and lover long ago.

"He was always smiling. Every time I picture him, I picture him smiling. His smile lit up the whole room and his laughter was infectious. I think I always had feelings for him but I didn't realise that was even possible back then so I repressed them. It took him waking me up to how I really felt inside." Blaine's eyes became wistful as he remembered, but then his brow furrowed and Kurt wrapped his arms around him. "I'll never forgive myself for getting him sent away. I know it wasn't my fault directly, but I was stupid to not realise my father was onto us. I could have protected him."

Kurt shook his head sadly as he thought of the sad look in Blaine's eyes as he'd fought with the guilt. Guilt seemed to be an ever-present emotion when it came to loving who they chose to love. He too felt it for his family; the fact he was lying to them all about who he really was.

He suddenly came back to reality and looked down at Blackbird fondly. He put the brush down and petted down his nose before turning his back on the horse and breathing in heavily. He was not going to cry over this anymore. It didn't get him anywhere and it only made his eyes sting and his throat sore.

A cracking noise outside the door made him look up in surprise before he put it down to a small animal or the wind. He pulled his coat around himself more to ward off the cool night air and closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to breathe, feeling at peace in the quiet for the first time in a while. His everyday life was such a fast-paced bustle all the time, especially with the added anxiety of keeping his secret from everyone. As much as he loved Blaine, he was grateful for one night to be alone with his thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?"

He jumped out of his skin and for a moment even looked to Blackbird as if he had suddenly started spouting words. The voice was too high to be a male, however.

Rachel was standing right in front of him, so close he was shocked he hadn't heard her approach. He quickly regathered himself and stared at the younger girl, now sixteen years old after her birthday the day before.

"Nothing," he replied.

"There are no nothings when it comes to you these days. There's always something," she murmured, eyeing him sceptically.

"Why are you out here Rachel?" he snapped, not having the patience for her games tonight.

"Well I did go to your room but you weren't there. I thought maybe you were with Blaine but you can hear that man snore from miles away, process of elimination brought me here," she explained, even unsure herself as to why she was rambling. She looked uncomfortable in his presence which was an unusual dynamic between them.

There was an awkward silence and Kurt cleared his throat. He didn't know what she wanted and he was determined not to be the first to speak until she had made her intentions clear. Every conversation they had lately led to an argument and he was too tired to defend himself to her again. Almost as if she could hear his thoughts, she spoke up.

"I'm not here to fight with you." She looked down at her feet as if plucking up the courage to say what she wanted to next. "I'm here to understand."

Kurt raised his eyebrows and regarded her warily. "Understand what exactly?"

"You and Blaine. Me and Blaine. All of it."

"There's not much to explain," Kurt said quickly.

Rachel huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "Of course there is, Kurt. Just one month ago everything was fine, I was getting married and I was... happy. And in that short time, you've turned my whole world upside down."

Kurt was offended at the implication that it was entirely his fault. Rachel had been a tyrant since Blaine had arrived and it had been her own actions which had turned Blaine away from her. The fact he turned straight into Kurt's arms instead was not any single person's fault.

"Rachel, it's absurd you think the whole world revolves around you. Do you not think my world has been turned upside down too? Do you not think I am struggling with this?"

Rachel seemed to pause at that, her mouth opening to speak but then closing again. She sighed audibly and made her way over to a stool to sit down. "Talk to me, Kurt. Please. I have to understand what is going on here."

"You know what's going on."

"But deeper than that. I need to know how you feel, what this means for all of us involved. Am I supposed to just marry him and let the two of you carry on under my nose?" She was speaking so quietly she was almost whispering, as if saying any of this too loud would make it all the more real. She mumbled something else that Kurt didn't quite catch and when asked to repeat herself, she looked up to meet his eyes.

"I'm not sure I even want to marry him anymore."

Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What about being a Lady? Moving to the city? Couldn't you have said something about this earlier? You could have put a stop to the whole thing! Maybe if we speak to father..."

She held up her hand to silence him. "I already tried it, Kurt. The minute I realised his mother knew about you two and seemed to be on board with the whole thing, I tried to pull out of the marriage. But the invitations have already been sent."

"You know about Blaine's mother?"

"Oh yes, she was _oh so excited_ to bring you along with us when we leave. Almost as if Blaine had begged her to."

"He didn't. She came up with this idea all on her own, we had no clue."

Rachel seemed very hurt at that. "Well then she must _really_ like you."

There was another awkward pause with neither knowing how to even speak to their sibling properly anymore. It felt as if they would never get back to the way they had once been, but this animosity had not just started with Blaine, it had been stirring for a long time.

"Do you love him?"

Kurt hesitated, sure he didn't want to hurt her further but wanting to be truthful. "Yes."

"And does he love you?"

He nodded his head without needing to speak and she nodded hers in return. It looked as if she was fighting off tears as she stood and walked past him to the door, head held high. She paused in the threshold. "Despite everything, I am really upset we ended up this way."

She did not see the lone tear make its way down Kurt's cheek.

* * *

Blaine was kissing down Kurt's neck and he was finding it increasingly harder to concentrate. They were hidden in the larder and Kurt knew that at any second anyone could come in just looking for an ingredient and find them all over each other.

They had been spending the afternoon baking together and when Kurt had realised they were out of sugar he had gone to get some and been ambushed by Blaine in the cupboard. He had been planning on moving on to soufflé next but Blaine had to be at tea with his mother in less than an hour now and he was wasting all of their time with his incessant kissing and touching.

"Blaine... could you pass me the... the sugar, Blaine... it's on that shelf there behind you." Kurt knew his attempts were futile as Blaine seemed to have suddenly gone deaf as he latched himself onto Kurt's skin.

Blaine's hands moved beneath his shirt and travelled up the length of his back and he pulled Kurt forward to press their bodies together more firmly. Kurt felt the hardness in Blaine's trousers pressing against his thigh and he rolled his eyes before pushing the smaller man back gently.

"We're going to get caught. Get yourself together and meet me back in the kitchen." Kurt left a panting Blaine to recover with a cheeky smile before grabbing the sugar and walking back to the table in the kitchen like nothing was wrong. He began to measure out the ingredients he needed before he felt a warm breath tickle the back of his neck.

"Blaine..." The soft giggle in his ear was enough confirmation that his lover had not yet, in fact, gotten himself together. "We really are going to end up getting caught if you are not careful!"

He tried to weasel his way out of Blaine's grasp. This only made Blaine giggle more and he placed his hands around Kurt's waist from behind and rested his head on his shoulder. "You worry too much."

Kurt pulled away from him and gestured frantically to the door. "There are people in and out of here all the time! Any one of them could…" He was abruptly cut off by Blaine's lips on his and as much as he wanted to fight, he couldn't resist the now familiar and well-loved sensation. He let himself fall into Blaine's arms and closed his eyes. He allowed Blaine to lead the kiss and when the older man eventually pulled back, he rubbed their noses together sweetly.

"Now, I thought we were baking?" Blaine whispered which earned him a smack on the shoulder.

Kurt showed Blaine what he needed to do and soon they were both busy mixing their ingredients together. Blaine was feeling very light and happy, grinning to himself like a fool, when suddenly Kurt spoke up out of the blue. "So, I've been considering our upcoming departure… and I think I might just stay here instead."

Blaine looked up at him in shock. It had only been a few hours ago they were talking about how excited they were to be spending the whole year together and now Kurt was changing his mind? Blaine dropped his mixing spoon into his bowl and approached Kurt slowly. "Are you serious?"

Kurt nodded. "I think maybe it would be a mistake for me to continue to be a… distraction. After you are married that is."

Blaine's face angered. "You have never been, and never will be, just a _distraction_ , Kurt. It is Rachel who is keeping me away from you, not the other way around."

"It's not Rachel who is doing anything, Blaine. It's this world we live in. Rachel or not, we wouldn't be allowed to be together." He shrugged, pretending like the whole idea wasn't bothering him but deep inside he dreaded the idea of Blaine leaving and maybe never seeing him again.

Blaine took hold of both of his hands and forced him to look into his eyes. "Kurt, listen to me. Do you really want to stay here? Is this what _you_ want? Or are you just worrying about hurting other people's feelings?"

Kurt thought for a moment. "Both."

"Both. Really both? You honestly do not want to come back with me? Because I do not believe that for a second."

Kurt thought back to his sister and the words she'd said the night before. If he wasn't mistaken, despite the fact she had not said sorry, he could have sworn that was her version of an apology. She was reaching out and trying to make amends and he did not want to ruin it when this was the closest they had come to being amicable in years.

On top of that, he didn't want to let his parents down and continue to lie to them about who he really was. Every day he had to look them in the eyes and pretend nothing was going on was another day he felt the guilt eating him alive. He worried about Blaine's parents too and the constant presence of his father once they were in his home, an ever-present dark cloud hanging over their heads.

Kurt sighed. "I feel like I am lying to everyone I know. No, I _am_ lying. I do not know how much longer I can keep it up. And if I am away from home where I barely know anybody, I cannot decide if that would make me feel safer or more alone. What if something goes wrong? I do not know if my parents would even welcome me home. I would like to believe that they would love me no matter what but I do not know that, Blaine. And maybe if we just end it when you leave, I will not have to find out."

Blaine felt his heart break at Kurt's words as he knew too well how it felt to worry a parent did not love you. But if his mother could come around the way she had then perhaps Kurt's parents would too. "Have you ever broached the subject with either of them before?"

"No," Kurt whispered and looked down at his hands. "I was never even really sure myself until I met you. I mean, I always knew that something was different… but I always thought I would just grow out of it once I got married."

"Maybe you should speak to them about it, Kurt. It's the only way to know for sure."

Kurt shook his head vehemently.

"Well, I have an idea…"

"I swear, Blaine, if you suggest we run away again I will scream."

Blaine lifted his chin up and looked into his eyes. "You do not have to do it alone. We could tell them together."


	12. Chapter 12

Blaine and Rachel's wedding was only two weeks away and Kurt knew things were getting very time sensitive. And if he didn't already know himself, Blaine made sure to remind him every day. The older man was getting truly panicked as the event drew closer. All he did was fixate on the date and it was driving Kurt crazy. He was still trying to convince Kurt that they should tell their parents, to get it over with and finally stop sneaking around, but Kurt would just reply that he needed time to think first. Blaine seemed ready to jump in headfirst no matter the consequences but Kurt didn't know if he could handle the negative repercussions of doing so could bring.

His family could disown him, he probably would never get to see Blaine again, he too could be married off to some woman in punishment. Just to name a few.

He wasn't so worried about how his mother would react. She had always been his best friend, and he had high hopes that she would continue to love him even through this. His father he wasn't so sure about. He couldn't recall ever having heard him say anything on the topic of homosexuality before. As closed off as they were from the rest of the town, it wasn't something they had ever really come across, at least not to Kurt's memory. He wondered whether he would react like Blaine's father, with anger and denial. He didn't think he could stand it if they were separated the way Blaine and Jeremiah had been; And he was sure Blaine couldn't handle going through the same thing a second time.

"You're holding that a little tightly, Kurt."

The voice shocked him out of his thoughts and he turned abruptly towards it. Abella gestured to the book in his hands which he was gripping so hard his fingers had turned a stark white. He immediately loosened them and laughed. "Sorry. I was a little lost in my own head."

Abella regarded him warily before coming over and placing her hand on his cheek. She forced him to look into her eyes and gave him a kind smile, the one he had always known he could trust.

"What are you worrying about?"

Kurt hesitated. "I..." He let out a giant sigh and she led him to the nearest available seat, sitting next to him and putting her arm around his shoulder. "It's Blaine."

She nodded her head. "Ah." She had been aware of their secret affair ever since she had reentered the kitchen weeks earlier to find Kurt sobbing on the floor. She had been the first person he'd opened up to about it. "The wedding?"

"It's not just that. He wants us to tell our parents. About… _us._ " He gestured vaguely towards himself before giving up with another sigh.

Her eyebrows raised up so high they became lost in her hair. "What good will that do?"

"That's what I keep thinking. Will it not just make everything worse?" He let his shoulders drop in defeat. "And Blaine is so determined to tell them. He thinks we can make them understand. Or maybe we can at least stop the wedding." He shrugged.

As much as she wanted to reassure him, she just couldn't see how telling them would work in their favour. With the temper she had seen Blaine's father display, she could only imagine how he would react to the news. Kurt's father however… she couldn't be sure.

"Well, in my very limited opinion, I do think all hell would break loose." She let out a little laugh and he couldn't help but smile with her.

"He's given me time to think on it."

"How long?"

He looked sheepish. "It's been two weeks since he suggested it. And I still have not given him an answer."

Abella's mouth dropped open. "Kurt! You are cutting it very fine, the wedding is only two weeks from _now!_ "

"I know! But every time I think about telling them I picture the millions of ways it could all go wrong and I panic! What if they don't love me anymore? All because of who I am? What if they tell me I have to stop, to change? I do not even fear losing my inheritance, or anything like that. I just could not face them being disappointed in me." One of the cooks walked into the room behind them and, suddenly feeling self-conscious like he was worried he had overheard their conversation, Kurt stood up. "I had better go."

He rushed from the room and took the stairs quickly, only using every other step. He burst through his bedroom door and was startled to find Rachel on her knees looking for something beneath his bed.

"What are you doing?" He shrieked, and the girl fell flat on the floor when her arms gave way with fright.

"Kurt! Oh, I..." Her voice was an even higher pitch than normal and she sat up and shuffled herself awkwardly until she was sitting on her knees.

"What were you looking for?" Kurt demanded, frowning. He immediately raised his hand to his forehead and felt the lines there before straightening his brow to save his skin.

"Oh, there was a particular song I wanted to perform this afternoon. I thought maybe the sheet music was beneath your bed as I could not find it on your desk..."

Kurt huffed and crossed his arms, clearly not believing a word she was saying. "Nice try. What are you really looking for?"

She looked down at her hands and swallowed loudly before speaking. "I was looking for your journal."

Kurt let out a short, sharp laugh that Rachel knew was full of anything but humour. "Excuse me?"

"I thought maybe there was something in there that would help me to understand..."

Kurt was positively fuming. "You wanted to look into my personal thoughts and feelings so you could _understand_. Understand what, Rachel? That Blaine likes men? That he likes me? What more about that is there to understand?"

"I've never heard of anything like it before. I just want to know... if it's the same. The same for you as it was for me." She looked up at him in defeat, her voice getting quieter as she continued to speak. "You know I used to write all about him in my diary. I wrote about what our wedding would be like, even our wedding night. I thought of everything. It was my _dream_. And here you are... living it for me."

Rachel shook her head and got up from the floor. She smoothed down her skirts before breathing in heavily and walking to the door.

"Do not let me catch you in here again." Kurt said, feeling much more shaken than his voice betrayed. Rachel looked at him briefly before leaving the room.

Kurt was left standing in the doorway. _This does not feel much like a dream_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

The wind was howling outside, and there was a constant tapping on the window from a broken tree branch. The storm had been raging for 3 days straight and everyone had been confined to the house as the gardens had become nothing but treacherous mud slides and puddles.

Blaine stared out of his bedroom window solemnly, missing the beautiful summer days he had spent with Kurt. September was now in full swing and with it had come rain, more rain than he had ever seen at this time of year before. It seemed to be never ending.

He glanced over at the little calendar on his dressing table and felt his heart race when he looked at the date, as it often did recently. September 19th. He was getting married in eleven days. And he had still not managed to convince Kurt to tell their parents about their relationship. When he had first suggested the idea even he had thought it was maybe a little extreme. But the more he thought on it, the further he became sure that it was the right course of action. No matter what the outcome, whether their parents yelled and screamed, or if they surprised even themselves by coming around to the idea, they would get through it together. He just knew they would. He just wished Kurt would hurry up and make his decision before it was too late.

Blaine jumped in fright when the door banged open behind him and he turned to see who had opened it so harshly. Seeing no one in the threshold he walked over and peered left and right into the hallway but there was still no one in sight. He put it down to the wind, there must have been a breeze getting in somewhere, and he pulled the door toward him to close it again.

The old house was beautiful, but the key was in the word _old_. There were a few spots throughout where the rain had gotten through the roof and they had strategically placed wooden pales around to catch the water. His mother had turned her nose up at this at first, used to living in finery, before Blaine had chastised her and told her that she was lucky to at least have some kind of shelter from this storm. He knew Kurt was proud of his house and his heritage, as he should be, and so he wouldn't allow his mother to disparage it.

Blaine was just turning back towards the window, ready to resign himself to staring out of it again with nothing better to do, when suddenly there was a great crash and glass was flying everywhere. He dived to the ground with his hands covering his head, taking a moment to breathe and make sure he was okay before he chanced a look up. The window which had been his constant companion for the day was shattered and right in the middle of his room was a long, thick tree branch, the same one which had been tapping relentlessly all day long.

Blaine tentatively got up, being careful to avoid any glass from cutting into his legs and hands. He left the room and closed the door on his way to find Burt to tell him about the damage.

* * *

"Well, since we have no other spare rooms, you will have to stay with Kurt. I hope that is alright," Burt said.

Blaine waved his hand in dismissal, barely able to contain his excitement at the suggestion. "That is perfect. Thank you."

"You can sleep in Kurt's bed since you are our guest and Kurt will have to sleep on the couch."

"Oh no, absolutely not. I will take the couch. I would not kick Kurt out of his own bed."

Burt nodded and gestured for the servants behind them to start moving Blaine's things into his new shared room. Upon the door opening, Kurt looked up from his desk in surprise. He eyed the suitcases being moved into his room and looked between Blaine and Burt.

"What is going on?"

Blaine smiled a wide grin which showcased all of his gleaming, perfect teeth. "I am moving in here with you."

Kurt started and looked to his dad for confirmation. Had Blaine told him already? Was he really this okay with it?

"The window in his room was smashed by a tree branch. We cannot get anyone in to fix it until after the wedding, so a temporary move is necessary."

Kurt looked back to Blaine with wide eyes. He could feel the grin spreading across his face as he took in the excited expression on Blaine's face.

Burt took his leave and the boys were left alone with one another.

"Is this really happening?" Kurt gushed, unable to stop himself from launching into Blaine's arms.

Blaine nuzzled his nose into Kurt's hair and breathed him in deeply. "I am so unbelievably happy," he whispered. "If it is alright with you however, I was thinking about maybe _not_ sleeping on the couch…"

"Of course not. You will share with me. I have wanted to wake up in your arms for the longest time."

Kurt kissed Blaine briefly before turning to open his case and start hanging his clothes in their now shared wardrobe. Blaine hummed as he watched Kurt work. "I like seeing our things together like that."

Kurt smiled and blushed, loving how domestic this all felt already. A thought struck him suddenly. "I am not sure how Rachel is going to take this."

Blaine nodded in agreement before placing his arms around Kurt's waist from behind. "Well, she knows full well I cannot stay with her. This was my only option. Poor me," he said with a wink, leaning in to kiss Kurt's neck softly.

Kurt's body gave an involuntary shudder at the warm lips pressed against his skin. He leaned back into Blaine and closed his eyes, allowing the feelings to overtake him. Blaine moaned quietly but with his close proximity to Kurt's ear it set off explosions in his stomach.

Kurt felt himself start to harden and he let Blaine trail his hand down his front until he reached his waistband. Blaine moved his hand slowly over the growing bulge until he was cupping it in his hand and Kurt was letting out little breathy gasps in response.

Kurt had enjoyed the last few weeks of exploring Blaine's body. The first time he had touched him and brought him to climax in his piano room had been exhilarating and he had been high from the feeling ever since. He felt so much more confident when he was with Blaine like that now but still, through everything, he had not yet allowed the older man to give him the same in return. The thought of being so exposed in front of someone still scared him like it always had and as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't shake his feelings of hesitation.

He grabbed Blaine's hand in his and moved it off his crotch, not missing the disappointed sound that came from Blaine's lips at the rejection.

"I am sorry. We will, I promise. We have ample opportunity now." Kurt said gesturing to his – _their_ \- room.

"Don't worry. I will wait as long as you need. Just being able to sleep with you in the same bed is enough for me."

The bell next to Kurt's door started to ring, signaling that dinner was ready downstairs and they walked downstairs together, both feeling giddy at the prospect of going to bed that night.

 **Sorry for the delay. I have been away from home for the last week so I could go and see the LM/DC tour! I didn't have my laptop with me so everything was put on hold. If anyone is interested in seeing my pictures from the tour, and I also got a video of us meeting Darren at stage door, you can check them out on my tumblr: alittlelostinlifeagain**

 **Thank you! x**


	13. Chapter 13

"Are you feeling alright?" Blaine whispered, his head pressed against Kurt's and their breath mingling in the short space between them.

Kurt looked into his eyes and there was a pause before he found the courage to speak.

"Yes." It came out as a whisper.

Truthfully, his stomach felt like it was bursting with nerves and he was worried that Blaine would be able to hear his heartbeat through his chest. It was their first whole night together with absolutely no interruptions from his sister or their parents. They could do whatever they wanted and it was that which frightened Kurt the most. He knew exactly what he did want and that was _Blaine._ Plain and simple. But he had never shared a bed with anyone before, at least not in this setting, and he didn't know exactly what was expected of him.

Blaine ran his hands down the backs of Kurt's arms, comforting him and bringing him back to the now. His face broke out into a huge grin and Kurt's breath hitched at how uninhibited and beautiful he looked. Blaine truly was the most attractive man he had ever seen, there was no doubt about it. His eyes were shining with the same happiness as his mouth, there wasn't a part of his face which was untouched by it.

Kurt reached a hand up between them and very slowly moved a stray curl off of Blaine's forehead. He brought it down to rest gently over his cheek and Blaine closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Kurt could feel the softness of his cheek and how it became rougher as he traced his hand down his face and reached the stubble that caressed his jaw. Kurt had found that he really liked when Blaine's facial hair started to grow in; it grew extremely quickly but his mother always made him clean it up right away, much to Kurt's disappointment.

Kurt took the opportunity while Blaine's eyes were closed and leaned in to place a soft kiss to his lips. Blaine was taken by surprise and his eyebrows raised a fraction before he smiled into it. He reached both of his hands up and placed them on the back of Kurt's head, threading his fingers into his hair. Blaine opened his eyes and they stared at each other longingly, their arms crossed as they held each other's heads, before they were kissing, and kissing, and kissing.

Kurt hadn't even registered when he had hit the bed but suddenly he was on his back and Blaine was everywhere. His hands were all over his body, his mouth was all Kurt could taste, even in his own bed surrounded by his own things Blaine was all he could smell. He felt intoxicated by it and he allowed himself to surrender to his lover's actions.

Blaine kissed down his chest, opening one button on Kurt's shirt at a time and taking it with him as he went. He threw it to the floor not even looking where it ended up and dove right back in to Kurt's collarbone, peppering kisses along its expanse while Kurt writhed beneath him, his eyes rolling back in his head.

He loved the way Blaine seemed to worship every part of him when they were together like this. The older man always had to lay claim to each inch of his skin with a kiss, a caress or even just a look. He made Kurt feel wanted and any insecurities he had about how Blaine felt about him just fell away. He ran his hands down Blaine's naked chest – he barely registered that he had no idea when Blaine had taken his own shirt off, he was so far gone - and loved the feeling of the coarse hair beneath his fingertips. Blaine leaned down and pressed his body heavily onto Kurt's and both boys could only groan in response to the skin-on-skin contact.

Kurt could feel that Blaine's breathing was becoming staggered already. The older boy had yet to finish lathering Kurt's neck and collarbone in kisses. It didn't seem like he was even going to come up for air any time soon. Kurt tried to watch him, fascinated by how obsessed he was with tasting his skin in any way he could, but he couldn't keep his eyes open long enough to. He could feel tiny shockwaves lighting up his body with every press of lips and he was finding it difficult to do anything right then but just close his eyes and sigh.

He heard a muffled sound against his neck and giggled before grabbing Blaine's head and angling it upwards so he could hear him properly.

"What was that?" Kurt asked smiling down at him. Blaine saw that Kurt's eyes were blown with lust and his insides did a small celebration at the thought before he got his wits about him again to repeat himself.

"I said, are you alright with me doing this?" Blaine gestured to his hands which were resting gently on the waistband of Kurt's trousers, just above the still closed button.

Kurt wanted to tell Blaine he was perfectly fine with absolutely anything he wanted to do to him if it was all going to feel this good, but instead of gushing he just nodded his head and blushed before looking away shyly. Blaine bit his lip at how sexy Kurt was without even trying to be. There was no effort needed, no overthinking necessary, Kurt just _was_ and the perfection of his every move came naturally.

Blaine knew that Kurt was nervous about showing him his own body. He was more than comfortable with Blaine's by now, but Blaine had yet to properly witness the beauty he knew lay beneath Kurt's seemingly never-ending layers of clothing. He was so wound up with need he had to force himself to hold back every time they were alone together because he would never push Kurt into anything he didn't want. Blaine just wanted to worship the rest of his body the way he did his collarbone… and his neck… and his lips… and maybe his ears too because he loved the way Kurt would keen into him when he would flick his tongue across the lobe…

"Blaine?" His own name startled him out of his reverie. Why on earth was he simply daydreaming about such things when he was in prime position to actually do them?

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly. "I can't help but just look at you sometimes and I tend to get carried away."

Once again, Kurt blushed a beautiful shade of cherry red that Blaine just adored. He kissed both of his cheeks and the tip of his nose before catching his bottom lip between his own. Kurt whimpered and the sound hit Blaine head on and drove him forward. He plunged his tongue into Kurt's willing mouth and the younger boy's long, low moan was enough to let Blaine know he felt.

Blaine began to slowly work Kurt's trousers open, fumbling with the button from his position above the boy, and then worked them slowly down to his thighs. Kurt was suddenly very onboard with the idea of even more skin-to-skin contact and he took Blaine by surprise by helping him yank them down to his feet and kicking them off the end of the bed. He was left in nothing but his underwear and his eyes immediately cast over to Blaine still clad in his trousers in an obvious plea to get him to remove those too. Blaine obliged quickly, almost losing his balance and falling to the floor in his haste.

Before they knew it, they were lay flush against one another with their twin erections straining to get at each other through their last thin layer of modesty. Kurt lifted his head to reach Blaine's lips himself without needing to be prompted at all by Blaine now. He kissed his top lip and then his bottom while the older boy just allowed him to take what he needed from him. Kurt's arms found their way around Blaine's neck and he pulled him down and even closer to him until there wasn't a breath of air between them. The rather large room was known for always being slightly draughty but neither would have known it with the way their skin had heated up, causing perspiration to drip steadily down Blaine's back.

Their cocks brushed together deliciously and Blaine stifled his groan deep into Kurt's shoulder so as not to alert anyone in the room's next to them. Now he was staying in Kurt's room he was further down the hall from his parents than before, but he was directly next to Rachel's room. He certainly didn't want to nurse that headache should she decide to come snooping again and find them like this. He didn't know how much more the girl could actually take before she broke in some way. Blaine had a lot of things to say about the young girl, and none of them were nice, but he had to give her credit that she had kept their secret for so long.

Blaine wanted more of that fantastic feeling and so he pressed down into Kurt's body. He thrust upwards and Kurt gasped in response, encouraging him to keep going. Blaine started up a rhythm that was torturously slow, he would pull back and then slowly push up Kurt's body making sure to run his hands over his torso and press his crotch hard into Kurt's. Each time the younger boy would have to bite his lip hard so he too could keep from moaning out loud which disappointed Blaine greatly.

On his sixth time doing this, he made sure to catch Kurt's nipples with his thumbs on the way back down his body. Kurt shuddered and he couldn't quite keep the involuntary noise at bay this time. He cried out into the dark room and threw his arm up to cover his mouth but it was too late. Blaine surged up and took his right nipple into his mouth, rolling the bud around with his tongue and sucking hard. Kurt was shaking and he placed his hands on the back of Blaine's curls to steady himself against this sudden onslaught of pleasure. He never touched his nipples himself, and Blaine had only done it once before, but this time there was a real sense of urgency there.

When Blaine had finished giving his right nipple the attention it deserved he pulled off with a wet smacking sound. He admired his work – Kurt's once rosy bud was now a deep dark red and it was glistening in the candlelight thanks to his saliva. He quickly moved on to the left one and again Kurt had to cover up his pleasured moan by pressing his face into his pillow. His head was at an awkward sideways angle but he didn't care.

"Blaine…" His voice was wrecked and Blaine relished in the sound of him so utterly at his mercy.

"Yes?" Blaine asked, dragging his lips over his nipple one last time before looking up at him in wonder.

Instead of giving him a spoken answer, Kurt suddenly surged up and flipped them so he was straddling Blaine's thighs from above. He ran his hands down Blaine's torso just like the older man had been doing to him but when he reached the waistband of his underwear he didn't stop. He hooked his fingers underneath and swiftly pulled them off. Blaine watched as they cascaded down to the floor from the rather high bed and then looked back to Kurt, his mouth formed into a little 'O'.

Kurt giggled at his face and placed his hand softly over Blaine's member. He curled his fingers around the middle and took a moment, as he always did, to weigh it in his hand. Blaine was already leaking quite copiously due to his prior teasing of Kurt's body and it gave Kurt quite a thrill that he could make him feel like this so easily. He swirled his thumb through the liquid, using it to slicken up his hand before moving it up and down slowly. He made sure to twist his wrist every time he got close to the head in the way that always made Blaine's legs quiver.

Blaine's breath stuttered as Kurt began to pick up pace and he closed his eyes against the image above him. He knew that if he continued to watch Kurt sat on him and working his cock like that he would explode and he definitely did not want this night to be over so soon. He hadn't even gotten Kurt naked yet.

Almost as if he had read his mind, Kurt suddenly stopped and climbed down off the bed to stand next to where Blaine lay. He looked down at him before he breathed deeply to collect himself and lowered his underwear in a flash. Blaine almost missed his hands pulling them off he did it with such a flourish, one second they were there and the next he was staring at Kurt's very hard member for the first time. He tried not to stare, knowing well that Kurt was probably feeling very self-conscious right now, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away from him. He reached out to grab Kurt's thighs hungrily but he didn't manage to get a grip on them before Kurt launched himself back onto the bed and on top of Blaine again. He had his hands perched in front of his crotch as if he was trying to hide himself and Blaine scoffed in amusement. He placed his hands on top of Kurt's and tried to pull them away but Kurt resisted.

"Move your hands," Blaine said, as gently as he could while trying to be assertive.

"I feel embarrassed," Kurt whispered with his head angled down so far, he was speaking into his chest.

"You do not need to. You are breathtaking, Kurt."

He said it with such conviction that Kurt faltered for a second but that was more than enough time for Blaine to move his hands away. He took each of his hands into his own and threaded their fingers so he couldn't escape. Kurt looked down shyly as Blaine finally got a look at his body.

Blaine was staring, no he was _transfixed_. His mouth was open in awe and he couldn't seem to choose just one place to look. His attention moved from Kurt's face to his chest to his hips to his newly exposed cock.

"Blaine…" Kurt said breathily. He felt like his whole body was aflame.

"Please do not ever feel ashamed in front of me. I have never in all my life seen anyone as perfect as you. I could not bear the thought of you thinking negatively about yourself."

Kurt lifted himself up slightly higher so his cock was hovering just above where Blaine's lay hard against his stomach. His legs were either side of Blaine's hips and from below he looked stunning, an angel come to absolve Blaine of all of his wrongdoings. Because this was not wrong; in fact, nothing in either of their lives had ever felt so right.

Kurt brought his hand again to wrap around Blaine's member, grateful that it was still as slick as before, if not more due to seeing Kurt's body. He pumped up and down, remembering again to twist at the top, before a brilliant idea struck him. He lowered himself so that their bare cocks were touching for the first time ever. They both let out little hisses at the warmth of the sensation and Kurt had to resist the urge to just rut over and over when he felt the smooth slide of their mixed juices.

Kurt grabbed his own cock with the same hand that grasped Blaine's, holding them both solidly in his grip. His hand was just big enough to stretch around the two but he could feel a slight pull in his fingers at the effort to do so.

He didn't know whether it was best to move his hand or to just thrust into this new vice he had created for both of them but when his leg twinged and he fell forward slightly, he couldn't hold back and overthink things any longer. He pulled back and snapped his hips forward again, tightening his grip even more and Blaine moaned in a way that was positively filthy to Kurt's ears. But Kurt didn't stop; not to look at him, or even to check himself on what he was doing. He was beyond self-consciousness now and could only focus on that budding feeling in his stomach that was steadily getting more intense the longer he continued.

Blaine's hands came up to grasp at Kurt's hips. He was digging in so deep he was sure to leave bruises there in the shape of his hands by morning and that thought went through Kurt so hard he almost came right then. Blaine tried to assist Kurt by thrusting up to meet him and pretty soon the younger boy was rolling his hips frantically and repeating Blaine's name over and over. His head was thrown back and he was nearly sobbing with the effort to keep his voice down.

Blaine had never seen anything so erotic in all his life. Even through everything he had done with Jeremiah, he had never felt his heart soar in his chest like this while watching his lover fall to pieces before.

Soon enough Blaine felt the tell-tale sign of his approaching climax and he tried to hold back, he really did, but one more glance up at Kurt and he was gone. He came harder than he ever had before, his eyes squeezed shut tightly and his jaw clenched with the effort to not just let loose and scream his lungs out. Kurt kept up his punishing movements which were now made even easier thanks to the added lubrication of Blaine's cum. The younger boy lost his balance and he threw his hand out to steady himself, landing it on Blaine's shoulder and holding himself upright.

Blaine could do nothing but watch as Kurt thrust once… twice… three times and then he was cumming all over his hand and Blaine. He let out an incredible high-pitched gasp which went straight to Blaine's cock and he wondered if it was even possible for him to become hard again so soon?

As Kurt came down from his high Blaine caressed his thighs lovingly, knowing that after straddling him for so long he was probably aching. Kurt sighed with his eyes still closed and angled his head up towards the ceiling. He tried to focus on his breathing and centre himself again after the mind-numbing pleasure he had just experienced. His limbs felt like jelly and he wanted nothing more than to climb beneath the sheets and cuddle up to Blaine forever and ever. He made to do just that when Blaine stopped him with a chuckle.

"You do not want to do that just yet."

Kurt huffed in indignation and the sound just made Blaine smile again.

"Let us get cleaned up first or you will regret it in the morning," Blaine suggested and Kurt reluctantly gave in.

Blaine got up and collected two rags from Kurt's drawer, dampening them in the jug of water left for them both to drink in the night should they need.

"This might be a little cold," he warned and Kurt tensed when he pressed the rag onto his stomach. He wiped away the mess making sure to go gently around Kurt's now sensitive looking organ, and then he focused on the mess on his own body. He was much worse for wear having been lay underneath both of their climaxes and even he felt the need to blush at the streaks up and down his torso. He smiled and bit the inside of his cheek to stop from giggling like a little girl.

He placed the rags on the table and tucked himself beneath the covers, wrapping his arm around Kurt's waist and pulling him close. Kurt murmured sleepily and placed his hand over Blaine's arm to keep him there. Blaine breathed in Kurt's scent where it was strongest at the nape of his neck and placed a kiss there before sleep overtook him and he went peacefully.


	14. Chapter 14

Light filtered through the window dreamily, seemingly much brighter than it had been for the last few days. There was no longer the thundering sound of rain upon the rooftops to wake up to, and birds could be heard once again chirping happily from nearby trees. It seemed the worst of the storm had passed finally.

Blaine felt oppressively warm underneath the blanket, and there was a little snuffling sound close to his ear which he realised was the cause of his waking up. He scrunched his brow in confusion before opening his eyes properly and being greeted by the sweetest sight he had ever seen. Kurt had rolled over to face him at some point during the night but had still managed to stay lodged between Blaine's arms in the process. His lips were parted and the entire right side of his face was crushed into the pillow beneath his head. The little snuffling sound, Blaine realised, was coming from his mouth which he was breathing in and out of instead of his nose. It was the most unabashed Blaine had ever seen him but he knew Kurt would probably be mortified if he knew what he looked like right now. Blaine wouldn't have agreed however, he thought he looked adorable.

Blaine gently lifted his arm so as not to wake Kurt and moved a stray hair off his forehead to tuck behind his ear. His hair really was sticking up in every direction and Blaine couldn't even imagine how long it must take him to get ready every morning if this was how he started out each day. Kurt always looked so put together so it must take an age for him to deem himself acceptable to leave his room. He always fussed whenever Blaine would even touch his hair once he had styled it and now he knew why. He giggled looking at him.

The sound made Kurt stir a little but he did not wake. Blaine kissed him on the nose softly before pulling him even further into his body to hug him tight. When he pulled back his eyes caught on something and he had to hold Kurt at arm's length to fully see what exactly it was. Kurt's front, all the way down to his nipples and then back up his neck to his jaw, was covered in bruises. Bruises that were suspiciously similar to the shape and size of somebody's mouth. Blaine gaped at how much damage he had actually done to Kurt's otherwise flawless skin. He reached forward to touch one and as he pressed his fingers gently into the mark on Kurt's chest, the younger boy stirred again and gingerly opened his eyes.

"Wh…" he murmured, his voice just a light gasp of sound.

"Good morning beautiful," Blaine said with a guilty smile.

Kurt managed to open his eyes fully and it was then that it hit him what had happened the night before. He had shared his bed with Blaine. He had allowed Blaine to see him naked, and Blaine had been naked too. He had been so nervous at first he had thought he might faint from anxiety but once Blaine had reassured him, not once but several times, he had felt so much more at ease. His hand reached to cover his mouth as he stifled a giggle of his own at the memory.

Kurt stretched his arms up and rolled over onto his stomach, feeling all of his muscles regaining life after being so tightly wrapped up in Blaine all night. As he placed his weight down into the mattress he hissed when his nipples contacted it. He rolled quickly back over onto his back and his hand shot up to the sore area. He looked down and his eyes almost bulged out of his head at the deep red colour that was blooming over the majority of his chest.

"Blaine!" he yelped, feeling around his torso for any other sore spots. Blaine gestured upwards towards his neck rather than down towards his stomach where Kurt was prodding. Kurt's hands shot upwards and he tensed when he felt another tender area on the right side of his neck. It was way above where he knew any collars would rest and he knew he was going to be pulling out the cravats again for the foreseeable future.

"I cannot believe you!" he said, pretending to be angry but he couldn't stop the giant smile gracing his face.

"You did not seem to mind last night," Blaine replied cheekily and Kurt jumped at him in mock outrage.

Blaine laughed and wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist before the younger boy could do anything in retaliation and they ended up in a heap of laughter in the middle of the bed. Blaine kissed Kurt again just because he could and the younger boy felt the butterflies start up again in his stomach. He was pressed up against Blaine's naked form and he could feel the other man's arousal pressed up against his thigh, and he was sure his own could be felt in return. They were just starting to become slightly breathless when their door opened so suddenly it reverberated off the wall next to the bed.

Kurt had never jumped off his bed quicker in his life, it was like the thing had gone up in flames and he had chosen to only save himself. His heart was pounding in his chest and he looked at the girl in the doorway in shock before she burst in and ran over to the sofa which was supposed to be Blaine's makeshift bed. It was only after she had busily distracted herself that he realised he was still naked and grabbed a sheet from the bed to wrap around himself.

"Mercedes! What are you doing?" Kurt shrieked as he watched the woman throw the blankets from the sofa everywhere and frantically mess up the pillows. Blaine was looking at her in a mixture of confusion and humour. At least someone was finding this amusing, Kurt thought to himself.

"Your mother is coming to ask you to morning tea and I thought it best that you at least try to pretend you slept separately last night," she replied, gesturing to the sofa which did definitely look like someone had slept on it thanks to her efforts.

Blaine sleepily climbed off Kurt's bed and onto the sofa to keep up their little charade. He pulled the cover right up to his neck to cover up his naked form and burrowed down into the blankets. Mercedes raised her eyebrow at him before looking up at Kurt. Her eyes bulged out of her head as she took in his ravaged chest which was visible due to the sheet slipping down his front. She said nothing but Kurt knew exactly what she was thinking and was mortified at the mere thought.

There was a light knock on the door and the clearing of a throat let Kurt know who was out there. "One second mother," he called, running to his wardrobe to pull his robe on and securing it tightly around his waist. With one more quick scan to make sure his passion marks were covered, he opened the door.

"Good morning," he said cheerily.

"Good morning darling. I need you to join me and Lady Anderson for tea this morning, she would like your final answer with regards to joining them in the city when they leave."

"Yes, alright. Just give me half an hour and I will be ready to join you," he said politely before closing the door and breathing out finally. "Thank you, Mercedes."

"What would you do without me, hm?" she teased, poking him in the arm.

"Get caught probably," Blaine supplied which earned him a scowl from Kurt and a righteous nod from Mercedes.

"Too right you would," she said before retreating from the room and going back to her duties.

Kurt immediately went to start getting ready, combing through his wardrobe for the ideal outfit for the day. When he had finally decided on his favourite plain brown trousers which were folded up at the hem and a simple white button-down shirt, he went to call on someone to bring him water for a wash. Upon his return he found Blaine sitting up on the sofa and regarding him curiously.

"What are you going to tell her?" he asked.

"Who?" Kurt replied.

"My mother."

Kurt looked down and frowned, not sure what answer would be best. He had thought a lot on this since the initial suggestion and he was fairly certain he wanted to go. When he was weighing the pros and cons of going he could think of an easy solution to each problem, except one.

"I want to go, Blaine. Really, I do. But I keep thinking about the fact that you are going to be married. And not just make believe – actually _married_. And I think about you having to… to lie with her and perform your _husbandly duty_." He said the words with a sneer and it was the most vicious Blaine had ever seen him look. "And it makes me sick, Blaine. I cannot even picture it, it is so vile. I feel… jealous. And even betrayed. But who am I to feel that way? I am nobody. Your _lover_. And this all just goes round and round in my head and in no scenario do I come out looking good. Maybe I should just stay as far away as possible."

He was getting more and more tearful the more he spoke, his hands shaking and his bottom lip quivering; Blaine could tell he was on the verge of a breakdown. He rushed over to him and wrapped him up in his arms, placing kisses on his temple and hushing him.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you are more than just my lover?" Blaine said incredulously. "Kurt, you are the love of my life. No one has ever come close to you. Please, _please_ say you will come with us."

"Is that really what you want for me, Blaine? To be your secret?"

Blaine looked hurt. "Of course not. I wish I could shout from the rooftops how much I love you. But you know it cannot be that way."

"Do you know how much it is going to hurt me to see you with her? To see everyone celebrating your marriage? And what about when you have to get her pregnant? God, I feel sick just thinking about it…"

"Do you not think that I feel sick too? Kurt, I am… I am TERRIFIED." His raised voice made Kurt freeze and he looked up at Blaine with watery eyes. "In ten days I have to stand up on that altar and give myself to a woman I barely even know, and frankly don't even like, just because my father wants me to. And you are going to be stood there… watching the whole thing."

Kurt looked down at his feet in shame. He had been so wrapped up in his own feelings of misery he hadn't even stopped to consider how all of this must have been weighing on Blaine.

"You are right. Of course you are. I know how hard this is for you, I know how much you've been struggling. I know it is not what you want. And I am so sorry you are being put through this, Blaine. But that does not make my decision any easier."

Blaine was silent as he contemplated their situation. He wished there was some way he could not get married and return home with just Kurt and no Rachel in tow, but he knew there was no way. His father was so determined on their marriage now, and Blaine knew he suspected something else was going on, he just hadn't found solid proof yet. They couldn't go and dangle their relationship under his nose like that. He was smarter than Blaine wanted to give him credit for.

"Look… just, please. Please come with us. Even if not for me, then for you. You were so excited to study music under the same tutors as I. You wanted to show them your pieces… I have heard what you can do and it is such a great shame you are going to waste here. You can make so much more of yourself than this place, Kurt."

Kurt's heart felt light at the compliment and a timid smile crept onto his lips. He had always thought that the most important opinion he could ever receive on his music would be from that of the professionals he would find in a place like the city, and while he still believed that to be of high value, he was finding that getting Blaine's approval seemed much more important nowadays than anything. Whenever Blaine would show enthusiasm for a new piece Kurt was working on his heart would flutter with joy and he could not imagine a more wonderful feeling. Well until last night at least…

"Okay," he sighed. "I will come. After all, it is only one year. I am sure I can manage one year away."

* * *

Kurt was getting changed for dinner that night with a huge smile on his face. His tea with Lady Anderson and his mother had gone swimmingly and he was officially off to the city in just over a month's time. They were still leaving on their original departure date of November 1st despite Blaine's father moving the wedding up so soon, so he would have to endure a month of the newlyweds in such close quarters first. Even that thought couldn't wipe the excitement off his face, however.

Things were looking up for him and as he pulled on his trousers, he was pouring over all of his completed pieces in his head to decide which of the sheets of music he wanted to pack and take with him to his future lessons with Blaine's tutors. He had some favourites, and he knew which ones Blaine preferred, but he didn't want to go in looking cocky with so many finished pieces. What if they thought he was no good? What if he had no talent? He shook his head and tried not to let his anxiety get the best of him. It was all going to be fine, he was sure Blaine was going to talk him up to his tutors beforehand anyway, and with the backing of the heir of the Anderson estate he was sure they would at least spare him the humiliation of telling him he was terrible to his face.

A knock on the door made him jump. Blaine had already gotten ready and gone down to dinner, so he must have forgotten something.

"Come in," he shouted from inside his dressing room, hoping Blaine could hear him from outside the room. He heard the door open but could not hear anything more. Curiosity getting the better of him, he grabbed his jacket and made to turn back into his room.

"What did you forget?" He chuckled, eyes on the ground as he threw the jacket around himself and stuffed his arms in the holes. He was still looking down as he fixed his collar.

"Uh, nothing. Sorry, is Blaine here?"

The unfamiliar voice snapped Kurt out of his ministrations. He looked up in surprise and felt his heart stop as he took in the blonde boy stood before him.


	15. Chapter 15

In a split second, Kurt felt so many different emotions all at once. His mind swirled with it all and he couldn't pinpoint which was the strongest and so he was taken over completely as his mouth hung open comically. He realised that this other boy was staring at him in confusion and he tried to compose himself quickly; he cleared his throat and straightened up to face him properly, his mind trying to deny what he already knew to be the truth.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked him awkwardly; it seemed that neither of them really knew what to do.

"Who- who are you?" Kurt went with after battling over what to say for a moment. _Don't say it, don't say it, don't…._

"My name is Jeremiah. I am an old friend of Blaine's… Is he around? The lady of the house told me his room was at the top of the stairs here…"

"It is," Kurt replied almost snappily, sounding short of breath as he still reeled from the initial shock. "He is sharing with me at the moment."

"Oh… right." Jeremiah seemed a little nervous, he kept fidgeting with his sleeve and his eyes were shifting around the room as if Blaine were suddenly going to materialise from nowhere. Kurt felt bad for him and chose to try and diffuse the strange tension in the room.

"I am sorry. My name is Kurt," Kurt said, as he extended his hand for the boy to shake. He took it gingerly and the two shared an awkward smile before pulling back; Jeremiah's hand immediately going into his trouser pocket. "There have been so many guests arriving for the wedding, forgive me. I did not realise we were expecting anyone else today."

"Oh, I wasn't expected. And I'm not staying here, I have a room at an inn over in the town. I have been stuck there for the last few days during the storm, otherwise I would have come sooner. _Much_ sooner."

Jeremiah looked as though he were anxious to say something but Kurt didn't know what. Kurt looked at him carefully, trying to take in the young boy who had been the first to steal his lovers' heart. However, all he could see was a rather fragile looking man, with bags under his eyes like he hadn't been sleeping and a face that was pale and drawn out. Although Kurt had not ever seen him before, he just knew that this was not normal for the wonderful friend of Blaine's he had described to him on so many occasions.

"Do you need to sit down? You look tired-"

"NO!" The loudness of the word shocked both of them and Jeremiah held his hands up in apology before continuing. "I need to see Blaine. Please."

Kurt nodded before gesturing for him to sit in the arm chair in the corner of the room, promising to go and get Blaine for him. He left his room and shut the door, closed himself off from the other boy before closing his eyes and resting his head against the wood. He used the few seconds to breathe in and out, slowly, savouring the air into his lungs to try and calm himself down. He walked purposefully down the stairs and into the dining room where he knew Blaine would be waiting for him after drinks with both of their fathers in the parlour. He saw him laughing at something Kurt's father had said, a big, open grin gracing his face and making his eyes light up in the way he adored. Blaine lifted his head suddenly and his smile seemed to grow impossibly bigger as he gestured Kurt over.

"Kurt-"

"Do not say a word, just come with me," Kurt quickly interrupted, glad that their fathers had become distracted in some discussion of politics and were no longer paying Blaine attention.

Kurt yanked Blaine out of the room and up the stairs back to their shared bedroom. He spent the entire journey trying to control his breathing but by the time they reached the door he was entirely sure that he was about to faint. He stood with his hand on the handle and couldn't move.

"Is everything alright?" Blaine asked from behind, placing his arms around his waist and nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

Kurt spun around to face him and allowed Blaine to press him into the door before leaning in and kissing him hard. Blaine smiled into the kiss and squeezed his hands on Kurt's back tighter, sure that this was going to lead to some kind of speedy rendezvous.

"I love you, Blaine."

"I know, I love you too, but Kurt you know dinner is about to start…"

Kurt reached behind him and turned the doorknob, opening it so that they both fell through the door with Blaine still giggling like the whole thing was fun. But when Kurt became unresponsive under his kisses, Blaine looked up and found him staring at something in the corner of the room. He followed his line of sight and his first instinct was to be frightened of the lone figure sat on the armchair, sure that they had been caught. But as he looked closer he realised…

"Jeremiah?"

The other boy stood up tentatively and walked over to Blaine, coming to a stop just in front of him. He fidgeted, pulling on his sleeves again before smiling shyly and then… he was suddenly airborne. Blaine had launched himself forward and grabbed him in his arms, lifting him from the ground and spinning him around as he cried out happily. They both had tears in their eyes as they let each other go and neither noticed Kurt, fresh with his own set of tears, slip out of the room and close the door.

xxxxxxxx

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Blaine said through his tears. He was holding Jeremiah at arm's length so he could make sure this was absolutely happening and not just his imagination. He was afraid if he let him go then he might just disappear into thin air again.

"I heard you were getting married," Jeremiah said, "And I had to come and see you."

Blaine shook his head. "No, I mean… What are you doing _here_? Did you really come overseas just to see me before I got married?"

A flash of something shot through Jeremiah's eyes and he looked down at the ground before Blaine could see what it was. More tears fell from his eyes and splashed onto the floor before he built up the courage to look back up at Blaine again.

"I…" It came out on a whisper, a barely intelligible breath of air. "I never went abroad."

Blaine blinked and stared as he took in this new information. He had to repeat it over and over again in his head before it could sink in properly and he backed away from Jeremiah slowly.

"Excuse me?" He said as his legs hit the bed and he fell into a seated position on the very end of it.

Jeremiah swallowed and began fidgeting again. "All those years ago, your father told me if I did not leave immediately then he would ruin my family. I was only sixteen and I did not know what to do, so I told my parents I needed a change of scenery and they decided I could go up north to stay with some old family friends. I made them promise not to tell your family where I was, I said I had had a falling out with you and I wanted a clean break. So, they said I had gone abroad. I was supposed to come back after a year but I ended up making a home up there, and I loved it so much I did not want to leave."

"How… how did you… who told you I was getting married?" Blaine stuttered, not able to focus properly under the weight of all of this new information. His stomach felt like it had been hit by a ton of lead and his head was threatening to spin violently out of control.

"Good news travels fast," Jeremiah joked as he shrugged his shoulders, but Blaine could see from his face that he thought this was anything but good news. There was silence for a stretch of time, neither knowing what to say to the other after so long a separation. They stared at one another as if they were strangers, the initial joy at being reunited fading away quickly. Blaine couldn't tell what Jeremiah wanted; why had he come so far after all this time? Why had he chosen now to reveal the truth?

"Why are you here?"

Jeremiah thought deeply before he spoke. "I wanted to make sure you were happy. I know it is probably not my place anymore to worry about you, but as soon as I heard I just had to know." He knelt down in front of Blaine and forced him to look into his eyes. "I was going to ask you if this was what you wanted. If… _she_ was what you wanted. I had to know you were not being forced into this; it kept me awake night after night. But now I see…"

"You see what?" Blaine questioned.

"You love that boy."

Blaine's eyes widened and he would have tried to deny it, if only to protect Kurt, had it not been for the fact he had just burst through the door desperately kissing at his neck. There wasn't much he could do but nod slowly as he felt the tears prickling at his eyes.

"I do." Blaine looked around for Kurt and realised for the first time that he was no longer in the room. He frowned and hoped he hadn't upset him with his overjoyed reunion with his old lover.

Jeremiah saw him looking for Kurt and sighed, a small smile crept across his features before he let out a loud laugh. "So, you have not changed at all. I was really scared you would not be the same person I remembered when I arrived; but here you are still, keeping secrets and hiding from your father…"

Blaine hit him on the shoulder playfully as he laughed too. "It seems that you are the one that has been keeping secrets for the last decade, not me. My father even thought you were abroad so you had us all fooled."

Jeremiah's head fell as he visibly winced and Blaine looked at him questioningly. He placed a finger under his chin and forced him to look at him again.

"What is it?"

"Your father knew exactly where I was. I told him where I was going the night before I left, the same night I came to beg your mother's forgiveness. I can definitely tell you which of them was sadder to see me go..."

Jeremiah tried to joke but Blaine was seeing red. His father had known all this time? He had threatened his very best friend, the boy he had been in love with, with absolute ruin and had kept it to himself all these years that he had never even left the country. He had made Blaine feel terrible, told him it was all his fault that Jeremiah had had to leave his family behind; that he was a disgrace, an embarrassment.

And Blaine had really been clueless to it all.

He stood up suddenly, jolting Jeremiah and making him jump.

"Come on," Blaine said as he headed towards the door.

"Where are we going?" Jeremiah asked, starting to feel panic rise as he watched a typical brash Blaine decision unfolding.

"To dinner."

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* * *

Kurt sat nervously twisting his hands under the table as he waited for Blaine to return. The rest of the table had asked him where Blaine was and he had lied and said he wasn't feeling too well, and that he had just gone upstairs to lie down but may return later. He truthfully had no idea if Blaine would come down to dinner or not, and not knowing what was happening between the two men upstairs was slowly eating away at him inside.

He knew that Blaine loved him and he wanted to believe that he would not just go running back to his old love, but he had taken in the emotion in Blaine's eyes when he had first seen Jeremiah again and recognition had caused him to cry out in happiness. Kurt hadn't been able to stand and watch their reunion; he had felt like he was intruding on a private moment he was not welcome to. How had everything gone from wonderful as he had shared his bed with Blaine last night, to destroyed like this in a matter of hours? He hated himself for feeling jealous and not trusting Blaine, but he could not help the emotion running through him that felt like a thick sludge in his veins.

His mother had tried to make conversation with him several times but he hadn't been able to concentrate on what was going on around him with his head stuck completely upstairs. Eventually she had given up and allowed him to his thoughts, clearly able to see that he was in no mood tonight, and had turned to her daughter to speak instead. Not even the shrill voice of his sister going on and on could pull Kurt out of his own head.

Kurt left the majority of his food untouched, and it wasn't until most everyone else had already finished their starter that the sound of the door opening could be heard behind him. Before Kurt could even turn around to confirm who had entered the room, he heard a loud gasp from the other end of the table. Blaine's mother stood up so abruptly that her chair teetered on its back legs and almost fell to the ground, but the servant behind her stopped it before it could. She stared in a mixture of horror and fascination as she took in the way too familiar blonde man standing with her son.

"Good evening all." Blaine greeted cheerfully, but his gaze never left his father. The two men stared each other down with pure hatred burning in both of their eyes. "I brought an old friend to dinner, I hope you do not mind."

Kurt's mother, sensing the sudden tension in the room, spoke up. "Of course not, darling. The more the m-"

"What is _he_ doing here?"

The harsh, booming voice of Lord Anderson filled the space to the point where Kurt felt like it was choking him.

" _HE_ is a wedding guest father. And _he_ is joining us for dinner tonight." Blaine was visibly shaking, and Jeremiah reached a hand to his shoulder from behind to try and calm him down.

Kurt watched the whole exchange with clenched teeth.

"He was not invited," Lord Anderson said.

Blaine chuckled. "And yet here he is."

Kurt's family were all looking at each other in confusion, unsure of what to make of the hostility between the two men and the mystery of this new guest. No one dared to speak up, though.

Blaine turned to Jeremiah. "Have a seat."

Jeremiah looked physically ill, like this whole exchange was making him as anxious as it was Kurt. Kurt decided to help him by gesturing to the chair next to him and inviting him over. Jeremiah looked at him gratefully before sliding smoothly into his seat. Blaine did not make a move to sit down, he just continued to stare his father down resentfully.

"Um… hello. My name is Rachel." Rachel smiled at Jeremiah from across the table, awkwardly trying to break the silence.

Jeremiah smiled in return. "Ah yes, the beautiful bride. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Jeremiah."

Kurt wondered how Jeremiah was handling the death bringing glare he was receiving from Blaine's father at having dared to speak up. The boy didn't even flinch though it was unmissable.

Blaine began to walk slowly towards where his father was sitting, his hands clasped behind his back and looking as casual as if he were on an afternoon stroll through the gardens.

"So, father," Blaine began, "How long has it been since you've seen old Jeremiah here?"

Lord Anderson twitched. "What are you doing?"

"A good decade or so, right?" Blaine nodded, almost to himself.

Jeremiah and Kurt were now both fearfully looking back and forth between the two men, unsure as to where Blaine was headed with his questions.

"Well, I have just had the most _interesting_ conversation with him. Turns out everything I thought was wrong. Did you not say he had gone abroad to live with his relatives? Did you not berate me for years afterwards about how everything was all my fault and it never would have happened had I kept it in my trousers? I remember you screaming at me… holding me against the wall and yelling until I got it into my _pathetic_ head..."

Blaine was crying openly now, but Kurt could tell the tears were furious and not at all upset. Kurt made a move to stand but Jeremiah placed a hand over his on the table and imperceptibly shook his head.

"You better stop this nonsense right now or I will-"

"WHAT? You will what, father? Send my best friend away again and lie to me for years about where he is? Threaten his family again? Set me up in some sham of a marriage to pretend that none of it ever happened?"

Rachel was looking incredibly confused by this point, but when she looked at Kurt and Jeremiah grasping each other's hand on the table, both looking frightened out of their minds, it clicked into place for her.

"Wait? You- you and him? Him too? What on earth am I marrying into?" she screeched.

"What do you mean 'him too'?" Lord Anderson asked her.

"Father-"

"No, Blaine! What does she mean 'him too'?"

Lord Anderson jumped from his seat and grabbed Blaine by his shirt, pulling him towards him in a violent manner.

"Tell me what is going on right now!"

That was the last straw for Kurt. He leapt from his chair and ran around the table before Jeremiah could stop him, a sudden burst of courage fuelling him forward. He grabbed onto Lord Anderson's arms and pulled him off Blaine and pushed him back.

"You have to stop this!" He screamed, but he barely had enough time to see the pure rage in Lord Anderson's eyes before he was being shoved against the wall himself.

"What does this have to do with you, huh?" Lord Anderson shouted in his face, so close that his spit hit Kurt's cheek.

Blaine launched himself at his father, clawing at his back to pull him off Kurt. He yanked so hard that his father fell backwards and in his grasp was a large piece of white material. He looked down at it in confusion, before he looked back up to Kurt and his face turned from confusion, to denial, to disgust, to rage once again.

There were audible gasps throughout the room, the loudest being from Kurt's mother. His shirt had been ripped down the front on the left side and his chest was exposed, covered in the passionate marks Blaine's lips had left behind during their night together.

There was a moment of deafening silence.

And then all hell broke loose.


End file.
